WITCH Swordmaster
by yellow 14
Summary: Five Meridian swordmasters must stop the greatest threat Meridian has ever known.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H or Rurouni Kenshin.

AN: I've borrowed a lot of tricks from the manga series Rurouni Kenshin and in doing so, taken appalling liberties with the laws of physics. For that I ask your forgiveness. Thank you to everyone who helped me with this story. A sakabato is a reverse edged sword, reversing the sharp end and the blunt end of a katana.

Will Vandom looked her opponent in the eye. For the past ten minutes, they had fought and it was beginning to tell. They began to circle one another, each one waiting for the other to make a fatal mistake.

Then the attack came, so fast that Will almost missed it. Her opponent brought her shinai downward with cobra speed. Just as fast, Will side-stepped to her opponent's right and simultaneously brought her sword into her opponent's back. Her opponent fell to the ground. Turning to face her fallen enemy, she offered her hand and said "Bad luck T. Looks like I win this time."

"Never mind, there's always next time" her friend replied and Will was sure that her friend was grinning under the protective mask. "Besides, it was a good match."

In the corner of the dojo sat two swordmasters. One was a woman with lightly tanned skin and black hair, who was wearing a baggy, long-sleeved red top and white trousers. The other was a young man with short blonde hair and brown eyes, wearing a long red jacket and black trousers. Leaning over to the woman he whispered in her ear "I'm guessing, by the expression on your face, that you've found your new apprentice. If nothing else it'll get the council off your back."

The woman merely smiled at him. "Looks like I'm not the only one." She countered. "Tell me this Nobuhiro. Why do you take such pleasure in annoying the council?"

Nobuhiro laughed. "Why Susan" he began "you, of all people should know why. Some habits are just far too much fun to give up. Besides watching that arrogant Ujiki pop a blood vessel or two is always worth watching." Looking at the other end of the dojo, he saw the two girls emerge from the changing rooms. Standing up, he looked at Susan and said, "Here goes nothing." And together with Susan, walked up to them.

Taranee and Will were in deep conversation about their futures and didn't notice the two swordmasters heading towards them. Neither of them knew what lay ahead. For Taranee, the future held plenty of possibilities. Apprenticeships to several different professions had been offered to her, but as she told Will, she would have preferred an opportunity to take her swordsmanship further.

Wills future was less certain however. As a foundling, Will did not have any family name to recommend her. Both of them knew that Will would probably end up as a domestic servant to a rich family, or a mercenary in some feudal lord's army. Neither option appealed to her. It wasn't until Susan cleared her throat in front of them that they saw the two swordmasters in front of them.

Susan turned to face the redhead. "What is your name girl?" she asked in a cold, commanding voice.

"Will Watsuki Mistress." The girl relied.

"And yours?" Nobuhiro asked her dark-skinned friend in the same cold voice.

"Taranee Cook Master" her friend replied.

"Well Miss Taranee Cook and Miss Will Watsuki, most young sword students bow to swordmasters as they pass." Nobuhiro began "But" Susan continued "We don't expect that from our apprentices" Both girls heads shot up. "Will Watsuki" Susan began "I am formally offering you an apprenticeship. Under me you will learn to be a master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Do you accept?"

Will forced herself to stay calm. With a bow, she said, "I accept your offer Mistress"

Nobuhiro turned towards Taranee "Miss Taranee Cook, I formally offer you an apprenticeship to master fire style swordsmanship. Do you accept?"

"I accept your offer Master" Taranee replied calmly, but she too was clearly excited as well.

"Then we will make the necessary arrangements." Susan said, "You may leave"

Nobuhiro and Susan watched as the two girls walked out the dojo. "You know, making them think they were in trouble was a pretty nasty trick" Nobuhiro sighed.

Susan just smiled at him. "It was, wasn't it? Fun though." And with that they both started laughing.

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Four years later

The first hint Will received that something was up was when her sensei walked into the dojo wearing her sword. It was unusual for a swordmaster to wear her sword when she was in the building. Especially a metal blade designed for combat and not a bamboo training sword. However before she could ask, Susan spoke first.

"Will" she began "We are required to go to Shingetsu village in the east." A scowl crossed her face "An old problem of ours has resurfaced and seeks to obtain a dangerous and powerful magical artefact. I will explain more on the way."

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"One hundred years ago a powerful mage forged one of the most powerful magical artefacts in Meridian. An artefact known as the sword of Candracar. In theory, it grants the wielder magical powers without the need for magical reserves. In other words, limitless magical power. Now fifty years ago, a mistress of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu went rogue." Susan paused to look Will in the eye "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu masters do not kill. Especially for their own gain and their own revenge. Nerissa violated our most sacred of vows and now she seeks the sword of Candracar."

There was a brief moment of silence in the carriage. Then Will spoke. "Well you'll have the advantage of youth anyway" but Susan shook her head.

"Nerissa's magic keeps her young. But her magical reserves are close to exhaustion and so she seeks a means of restoring her magic. In the past, Mount Thanos has helped, but its reserves are also running out. Of course if we knew where Mount Thanos is, we wouldn't have to wait for her."

The carriage pulled into the village. The whole village seemed to be filled with the elite royal guard. This really caught Will's attention. The Royal Guard represented the finest soldiers in Meridian and it made her wonder just how dangerous was this Nerissa.

Reaching the shrine, they exited the carriage and began to settle down in the shrine. The building looked like a huge stone dojo to Will. Only one thing stood out and that was the small golden square in the middle of the room's wooden floor. Three hours later, Nerissa began her attack.

Nerissa flew through the wooden door with an ear-splitting crash. Landing smoothly on her feet she looked up and her eyes appeared to freeze everyone in place. Cries of "What happened" and My body won't move" echoed through the room. Everyone except Will's sensei Susan. With a war cry she stared right back at Nerissa.

"Shin No Ippo I presume" Susan began "A secret fighting technique to paralyse by casting chi into the eyes of your opponent. Few fighters ever master it. However it isn't magic it's more a battle of wills. And when that will is matched it cannot work."

Nerissa just grinned at her. "Then let us fight," she said with a look of relish on her face. And so the fight began, swords swinging so fast as to be a blur. Susan's sakabato met Nerissa's katana time and time again until that final, fateful swing.

There was a brief pause. Both fighters seemed to be unharmed. But then blood began to spray out of Susan's neck and she fell backwards towards the ground. Suddenly Will felt a tremendous wave of anger course through her and she charged towards Nerissa, the Shin No Ippo suddenly loosing its grip on Will. With nothing more than a bamboo training sword in her hand she was determined to make Nerissa pay. But it was not to be. With a wave of her hand Nerissa knocked Will to the ground.

Will closed her eyes as Nerissa raised her sword. But instead of a killing blow, Will felt a sharp pain on her right cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw Nerissa looking at her, smiling. "You show promise apprentice. Seek me out one day, when you're more of a challenge." And with that she left, the sword of Candracar in her hand.

Will was apprenticed to another master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, a master Dean Collins. But he wasn't Mistress Susan Vandom. Will spent her first week with him in mourning, but Dean refused to allow her to stay that way. It was a harsh, but necessary move. It did give Will focus. With focus came clarity and with clarity came a burning desire for revenge. Just you wait Nerissa she thought to herself. You will wish you'd killed me. I won't be so kind.

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Ten years later

Princess Elyon sat on her thrown listening to the latest war reports. Her brother was fighting for the throne that would have been his, were it not for a twist of fate. Elyon was born with the rarest of gifts. She was a heart of Meridian, a type of sorceress who had limitless magic at her fingertips. Under Meridian law, she was automatically declared the heir to the throne.

Her brother Phobos was not happy about this. Neither were a number of powerful nobles and so the Meridian civil war began. Now three years after it started, the civil war was showing no sign of abating anytime soon.

They were interrupted when a woman with long black hair and holding a white sword smashed her way through the glass window at the top of the room. With almost superhuman speed, the woman held up the sword she was holding. Elyons bodyguard, Lord Caleb rushed to defend Elyon, but all he hit was a magical barrier. With a sudden flash of white light, Princess Elyon was sucked into the blade. The woman disappeared, leaving her mark on the floor. A mark a royal scholar recognised as the mark of Nerissa.

In the city of Heatherfield, in the halls of the prophecy, the seer glass began to glow.

AN: I didn't intend to spend to much time on when Will was offered her apprenticeship, but it sort of got away from me. The last two sentences Susan speaks just before she fights Nerissa are borrowed straight from Rurouni Kenshin Vol 2.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If you honestly think I own the rights to either of these series you really are incredibly stupid. Besides there's a disclaimer on the first chapter.

AN: I've created the five separate swordmaster techniques using tricks from the Rurouni Kenshin series with some of my own made up tricks. As a result there are some tricks that aren't quite swordsmanship.

To Sniper Fodder I have only one thing to say: Only Erusean aircraft should be flying in this airspace. Sweep them from our skies.

Lord Caleb nervously paced backwards and forwards across the room. What was he doing in this place? Princess Elyon had been kidnapped and it was his duty to get her back. He most certainly shouldn't be waiting for five swordmasters to arrive, to fulfil an old prophecy that he didn't believe in. He planned to say as much to the first swordmaster that came through those doors.

"Excuse me are you Lord Caleb?" asked a voice to his right. Turning to face the person who had spoken, he came face to face with a beautiful redhead with a cross-shaped scar on her cheek. He thought she was so beautiful he suddenly found himself unable to speak.

"Well are you or aren't you Lord Caleb?" the redhead asked for a second time, her voice becoming slightly more hostile.

"Yes I am. Sorry you caught me by surprise." Caleb replied.

"Good. I am swordmistress Will Watsuki. Have the other swordmasters arrived yet?"

Giving himself a mental shake, Caleb composed himself. "Swordmistress Watsuki, you are the first"

"Good, that gives us time to discuss the techniques of the other four swordmasters. Shall we start with the fire discipline."

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When Taranee Cook received a message to go to the city of Heatherfield she didn't leave straight away like Will did. She had responsibilities that needed to be seen to before she left. She made arrangements with a swordmaster in the neighbouring dojo to take over her classes and finished off a translation that needed completing before she left. Picking up her double-ended sword, she stepped into the carriage and left.

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"Why a double-ended sword?" Caleb asked.

"Part of their technique. It makes them far more unpredictable. And like fire it can be as dangerous to the one wielding it as it is to the one on the receiving end" Will replied with a grim smile. "One of my oldest friends is a fire swordmaster, I'm hoping it's her we're travelling with. Still the prophecy chooses, not me. Next up is Earth."

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To the group of bandits watching the carriage approach it seemed as though the occupants were either stupid or naïve. A nobles carriage without guards during these troubled times was practically an invitation to be robbed. Before the war began, they didn't need guards, but now it was a different story.

They began by dropping a log across the carriages path and surrounding the carriage. The bandit leader called out to the carriages occupants.

"Come out and we won't kill you."

His men grinned. What he said was true, but he left out the fact that they would be sold into slavery instead. They expected a meek surrender or some foolish nobleman's attempt at resistance. What they didn't expect was to see an armoured fist emerge to hit the nearest bandit so hard that his head exploded like a ripe melon. Nor did they expect a tall, blonde northerner woman to emerge from the carriage holding the largest sword any of them had ever seen. At 11 feet long, several of them thought it was a spear at first.

The bandit leader was the first of his men to recover. "She can't swing that sword very fast. No-one can, it's to heavy. Get her!" he yelled.

Several of the bandits charged her. With all the speed of a striking cobra, she swung her sword in a sideways sweep and decapitated them in a single move. The remaining bandits looked at each other and fled, screaming about the blonde demon with a monstrous sword.

The bandit leader raised his hands in surrender. But as the woman approached him, he struck her with all his strength and with the suntetsu hidden in his hand. The woman just laughed.

"Is that really your best shot? I could be accused of being a bully here. So to avoid that I'll beat you with just this finger" She waved the finger next to her thumb "Ok then, here goes"

With a speed that seemed to be superhuman, her hand shot out and her finger smacked into the mans nose and he flew backwards. Looking down at his semi-concious body, she said.

"The name is Lady Cornelia Hale. Also known as Swordmistress Hale."

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"So they're pretty tough, these Earth masters." Caleb commented.

Will smiled at him. "Yes. Earth style swordsmanship is primarily about brute toughness rather that agility and footwork. It was designed to fight yeti's in the frozen Northern Wastes of Meridian. There, fancy footwork isn't much good if you slip up on the snow and ice, so it lacks mobility. Also their zanbato's are constrained in the way they move. They can only swing downwards or sideways, so to compensate most Earth style swordmasters learn unarmed combat techniques to compensate for their weaknesses. The one we're waiting for will probably be a tall, muscular northerner man, who will no doubt be built like a tank, most of them are. Lets see now, who else? Ah yes the air discipline."

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To most people, Hay Lins clothing was very odd. A black sleeveless jacket, black trousers and black and white stripes across her arms. Hay Lin however understood the importance of her clothes and equipment to her magic tricks. Oh they weren't real magic, but they gave that impression when she used them. With a sword strapped to her waist and a couple of batons camouflaged against her arms, Hay Lin was ready. Wishing her parent's farewell, she stepped into the carriage with one of her oldest friends Irma Lair.

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"What kind of tricks are you talking about?" Asked Caleb.

"Basically any kind of illusions that they can do. Air is about being insubstantial and impossible to hit, because they're never there. Probably the most dangerous discipline to face, after Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

Now onto the water discipline."

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"So you ready to rock and roll Irma?" Hay Lin asked Irma as she stepped into the carriage. Irma grinned and lifted her spiked sword and her rapier.

"Does that answer your question Hay?" Irma replied, before both girls started laughing.

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"Wouldn't a spiked sword be at risk of getting caught up in your opponents body?" Caleb asked. Will rolled her eyes.

"It's a defensive sword. Water swordmasters use it to catch their opponent's swords to drag them in. The rapier is the sword they use to kill. Are we clear?" Will replied.

Caleb nodded. "And what about…" he began, but Will cut him off.

"You'll have to see." She said with a smile.

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Irma and Hay Lin were the first two to arrive. Will and Caleb greeted them and they began to talk about why they were there.

"So basically its about this prophecy thing." Said Irma and with a dramatic sigh she quoted it. "When the sword of Candracar, the heart of Meridian and the stone of Zamballa are joined, five swords will hold the key. The key to Meridians salvation. But be warned, when battle is joined, Meridians future is in the balance. For whoever wins, decides Meridians fate. You will know these five swords through the crystal of prophecy. Water, Fire, Earth, Air and the style of the heart, Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu."

"That about sums it up" Will agreed.

"Wonder who the other two are?" Hay Lin asked thoughtfully.

"The fire one is probably a real hothead, with a fiery temper and plenty of aggression." Irma began "The earth one is probably a tall musclely man, with no brains at all, who can barely string two words together."

"Thank you very much, you weak water mistress!" cut in a voice from behind her. Turning slowly, Irma came face to face with a longhaired blonde northerner carrying a zanbato. The girl was about to tear into her, when Caleb let out an exclamation of recognition.

"Cornelia!"

Turning to look at him, a look of surprise and annoyance crossed her face. "Caleb" she sneered with annoyance. "I know we're due to be married soon but I was hoping to avoid seeing you again before then."

"Ok this may seem like a silly question to you, but if you two hate each other so much, why are you getting married?" Irma asked in a confused voice.

"It's an arranged marriage. A lot of the noble houses arrange the marriages of their children. It forms political alliances for the future. Doesn't mean you have to like it." Cornelia answered.

"Enough!" Will yelled. "We have a princess needing to be rescued and a world to save. Save your arguments for when it's over."

"You know Will, I think there are a couple of people who didn't hear you several miles away." A new voice interjected. Will turned to face the voice and her face lit up.

"Taranee! Its good to see you." Will said in a pleased voice.

"You to Will. You too. Now shall we get on with planning what we're going to do next." Taranee replied.

AN: Yes I know I only demonstrated Cornelia's technique in this chapter, but that's how the story came out. I will demonstrate the others techniques as the story progresses. Incidently anyone who can figure out Hay Lins tricks will get a brief cameo in the next chapter. As always, read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See ch1

AN: At the time of writing, XV-Dragon was the only person to figure out part of Hay Lin's tricks. For those of you who don't know, the stripes on her arm make her arms seem shorter than they really are, causing opponents to underestimate her range. The other trick is in her black trousers and black sleeveless jacket. Black makes her appear taller than she really is, making it easier for her to duck under enemy blows.

"Our best hope of stopping Nerissa lies in us stopping her getting the Stone of Zamballa. The problem is that no-one has seen the Stone in fifty years." Will paused to look at the group in front of her, "The Stone is somewhere in Zamballa, but where in Zamballa is a mystery."

"I believe I can help you there." Came a voice from the doorway of the room. They all turned to face the owner of the voice, a tall, bald man with a gentle expression on his face. "I am the head of the Royal Intelligence Service. You may call me Oracle."

Almost everyone looked at him in disbelief. It seemed far too convenient. The Oracle chuckled. "Believe me when I tell you, it was no easy task. About sixteen years ago, when I first took the post of head of the Royal Intelligence Service, I sent agents into Zamballa with the intent of finding the Stone first. Three years ago, one of my field agents was able to pursuade the Perrin to hand over the long lost stone. To help you reach Zamballa, there's a ship in the harbour waiting to take you there. It's called the Fifteenth Dragon."

"Can you leave the room please? We need to discuss this information privately." Asked Will.

"But of course" replied the Oracle. "When you have finished, I will be waiting for you outside."

The six of them held a whispered discussion after he left the room.

"How do we know we can trust this guy?" Asked Will in hushed tone.

"We don't have to trust him completely. We only need to get to the Stone first. We're the best people to protect it and it serves Prince Phobos cause to work with us against Nerissa, not against. Not to mention the amount of damage we could do to his forces if he did try ambush us." Replied Taranee.

"Besides, it's the only link we have at all." She finished.

"I agree with the Fire swordmistress. Prince Phobos has nothing to gain from turning on a group of swordmasters. Word would spread, and the council of swordmasters would make sure that swordmasters from all over Meridian would turn on his forces. He would probably loose the war if that happened. I knew him at court, but I really didn't like him. He may be an arrogant and unpleasant person, but he's very cunning." Cornelia added.

"I know he's with the intelligence service." Said Hay Lin quietly. "My grandma knows him and she's in the intelligence service."

They all turned to face her. "What? I used to spy on my grandma's meetings when I was younger. Until a certain someone gave away."

As Hay Lin said those words, Irma turned bright red.

"It was an accident!" she protested. "Besides it got you your apprenticeship."

Cornelia just grinned. "And she has the nerve to call me stupid?"

"Watch it, Blondie!" snapped Irma, but before they could argue any further, Will slammed the hilt of her sword onto the table.

"Enough! It's decided then. We trust him and hope he isn't one of Lady Miranda's agents. Any objections?"

There weren't any and Will went out the room to talk to the Oracle. Less then five minutes later, they were heading for the docks.

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Chaotic. That was the only word that could describe the docks. Ships from all over the world were docked here and people were loading and unloading ships, yelling in different languages and trying to find ships. There were public houses and prostitutes, merchants and accountants, street peddlers and entertainers. In short, it seemed unbelievable that anything could get done here. But it did. For the docks, this was normality.

At Taranee's suggestion, they headed for the portmasters office. It was, as she pointed out, the place that kept track of all the ships in the port. But it wasn't a smooth trip. They were accosted by a group of burly, thuggish sailors, with some very nasty looking weapons at their side.

"Ere, we're looking for a good time sweetheart." Said one of the sailors as he grabbed Wills arm. She could smell the alcohol on his breath

"Then find it elsewhere." Caleb growled.

"I wasn't talking to you, pretty boy" he snapped as he pushed Caleb away. Caleb seemed to turn away, before smashing the thug on the arm with his quarterstaff. With a yell of pain, he screamed "Get em!"

As the rest of the group closed, Will drew her sword. "Try and avoid any fatalities guys. We don't want to be too delayed now."

The thug who had grabbed Will, swung at her with a Marlinespike. She dodged it with ease, and swung her Sakabato up under his chin. His friends watched as he flew into the air like a rag doll.

The batons that had been attached to Hay Lin's arms were in her hands. With cobra speed, she smashed the batons into the noses of the nearest two attackers. To them, it seemed as though her arms had stretched. But she knew they hadn't. Another thug took a swing at her head, but with a slight ducking motion, his mace missed her and she smashed both batons into his ribs.

A couple of thugs near Cornelia made the mistake of thinking she was the weak link. If she wasn't holding back, then that would have proved fatal. Her fist broke the legs of the closest one, while a high kick smashed into the jaw of the other.

Irma used the handguard of her rapier to smash into the face of the attacker nearest her with minimum effort. The next one, she threw over her shoulder in a one armed throw.

For Taranee, it was chemical warfare that she used. As a thug approached her, she threw a highly potent type of vinegar into his face. As he was trying to get it out, she punched his lights out.

Leaving their now defeated opponents behind, Will turned to Caleb.

"Thanks for standing up for me back there. I didn't need the help, but I appreciate it." She said with a smile.

"Don't mention it" he replied cheerfully. "The thing is…" he began, but a voice cut him off.

"Hey Will, Taranee, how are you?"

Her face lit up as she looked at the owner of the voice.

"Hey Peter, how you been? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Caleb felt his heart sink. The tall dark skinned sailor seemed to be Wills boyfriend. Figures, he thought to himself.

Peter swung down the mooring lines and smiled at them. "It has. What are you doing here anyway?"

"We're looking for a ship Pete. One called the fifteenth Dragon." Said Taranee.

At this he burst out laughing. "You're looking at her little sis." He pointed to the ship sign, which read

'The XV-Dragon'. "It uses the old fashioned numerals instead of the modern ones." He explained cheerfully.

"Is she fast?" Cornelia asked.

"Fastest ship in the world" Peter answered with pride. "She's a clipper ship with a fine crew. I'll take you to the captain."

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Captain Charles Mann greeted Will warmly.

"Welcome aboard Swordmistress Watsuki." He said, extending his hand to her. As she shook it, he said to her "I've worked for the Oracle before. We are to take you to Zamballa as quickly as possible. I'm told your mission is top secret and I won't pry, much as I'd like to."

"Thank you Captain. How long before we reach Zamballa?" she asked calmly.

"Three or four days, depending on the weather." He replied.

Will smiled. Zamballa was normally a ten-day sail from Meridian. Assuming he was being honest, this ship would halve that time and then some. There was no way that Nerissa or Phobos would be able to catch them. She hoped. And while she didn't know the captain, she did know Peter Cook and more importantly, she trusted him.

AN: Ships are always referred to as 'she'. I hope you like what I've done XV, but if you don't then sorry, I didn't mean to offend.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do own W.I.T.C.H and Rurouni Kenshin. But only in idle daydreams. If I did own W.I.T.C.H do you think I'd be writing W.I.T.C.H fanfics?

The voyage was a smooth one. As the captain and Peter had promised, the XV-Dragon was fast. During the journey, Will arranged for the six of them to plan what to do when they got there. Despite the fact that it seemed the obvious thing to do, the others hadn't actually thought of it. Or rather, no one had thought to share their preparations.

"Zamballa" Taranee began "Is one of the most heavily forested areas in the world. It is populated by three sentient species" she paused to look at the others. "The Entarens, who are more often known as the tree people, have a symbiotic relationship with the land. They can't live anywhere else. The stone, it is claimed, is supposed to be the heart of the great Entaren queen, Queen Kadma."

"By the doubt in your voice, I'm guessing that you don't believe it. Or all of it at least." Said Will. Taranee looked at her.

"Correct. I was researching Perrin legends and I encountered a little known story about the stone. It claims that sorcerers from the three races of Zamballa met in a sacred grove. They formed a stone that would unify the three races, provide peace and stability to Zamballa instead of the constant fighting that had gone before."

"And you think that's what the Stone is. Some kind of peace symbol?" Will asked.

"Not quite. Perrin magic differs from humans in that a symbol and perception of what that symbol stands for is extremely important. For the Perrin, the amount of belief in the stones power and what it stands for effects how powerful it really is." Answered Cornelia. The others turned to look at her.

"What? Most nobles learn a little bit about magic. I didn't have the aptitude for it, but Princess Elyon is my best friend and I used to help her with the theory side."

"Wait, you knew Princess Elyon?" Irma asked in a surprised voice. "I mean she actually talked to a mere swordmaster like you?"

Cornelia glared. "Two things ok. Firstly, Elyon isn't a snob. She likes people treating her like an equal. Which isn't easy when you're royalty. Secondly, I am a member of the nobility. My family is at court regularly so I've had plenty of opportunity. I was the only child there who didn't treat Elyon like she was some kind of god."

"So what's she like?" asked Will, forestalling another argument.

"She's gentle. Really gentle. She's got a heart of gold and she's a good listener. She's always been there for me and I her. And believe me when I say that I'm going to make this Nerissa person regret taking Ellie." The expression on her face left them in no doubt that she meant it.

"I've met Nerissa. She killed my sensei, the only person to act like a mother to me and she gave me this scar" Will pointed to the cross-shaped scar on her cheek. "I am the one who will make her pay." She finished in a cold voice.

After that there was silence in the cabin. One by one they left the room, leaving Will and Taranee alone.

"Will, you ok?" Taranee asked in a concerned voice. Will shook herself.

"I'll be fine." She replied. "I'm just a little worried about facing Susan's killer. But she will pay, that much is certain."

"Careful Will. You don't want to become like her." Taranee warned.

"How dare you! I'm nothing like her and I never will be!" Will yelled at her and she pushed Taranee out. Taranee sighed and pushed her glasses up. Taranee knew that her friend needed to be carefully watched. Losing Will was something she didn't want to see.

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Less than a day later, they pulled into the main port of Zamballa. Before they left, the captain gave Will a piece of paper with a list of instructions from the Oracle about how to meet his contact. Will was still avoiding Taranee, still angry about her friends warning. Part of her knew Taranee was right, but another part seethed that anyone could see any resemblance between them.

Meeting the others down at the dockside, Will passed on the Oracles instructions.

"We're supposed to be meeting someone called Tibor here. He's supposed to be an old man with a long beard."

"Less of the old, if you don't mind." Said a cheerful voice behind her. They turned to face a man matching that description down to a T. "Tibor Clause at your service." He added with an exaggerated bow.

Will extended a hand. "A fine day for fishing isn't it?"

"Especially for Haddock" Tibor replied without missing a beat. They shook hands.

"What was that all about?" Irma whispered to Hay Lin.

"Exchanging code phrases to confirm each others identity." Hay Lin whispered back.

"This way, if you please" Said Tibor. They followed him out of the town and up the mountain, to a small hut on the side of the mountain. As they entered, he pushed the mountain facing side of the hut to reveal a tunnel leading into the mountain.

"The Perrin are a very secretive people" he explained. "They're not fond of strangers, so be careful"

As they followed him down, they were all thinking the same thing. Who would choose to live in a mountain? A question that was about to be abruptly answered.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own so please don't sue.

"Welcome Tibor." Said a high impetuous voice from the darkness. "I see you've brought the swordmasters back with you, as promised. I'm still not convinced that we need them, but Nerissa represents a threat unlike any we've faced before."

"Hey we're all in danger here, you stupid" Irma paused "Whatever you are."

A tall female Perrin stepped out of the shadows, an angry expression on her face.

"I am Luba, the leader of the Guardian temple of Zamballa's stone. Remember you are here because Tibor has persuaded me to allow you in. Do not make me regret it."

Tibor held his hands up. "Please, please. We have a difficult task ahead of us and we can ill afford to argue. Luba, will you please escort these people to the temple?"

Her face softened. "Of course old friend." She said in a calmer voice.

Turning to face the five swordmasters and Caleb she beckoned for them to follow her. They soon reached an apparent dead end.

"So now what?" Irma quipped. Sticking her arm into a hole on the left wall, Luba twisted something in there. With a loud creaking noise, the wall in front of them opened to reveal a magnificent temple seemingly made of glass.

"Ok I am officially impressed" said Irma in a low voice. Luba merely smiled as she saw the looks of amazement on their faces. Will however recovered quickly.

"It's not really glass is it?" She asked.

"No young swordmistress, it's a type of crystal, called Trysar. It's very strong." Luba replied with a slight smile. "It's good to see that you're capable of thinking tactically anyway."

Will gave her a thin smile. "I'm a mistress of Hiten-Mitsurugi ryu." She stated calmly. "I'm meant to think about my surroundings. Now may I ask to see where this stone is?"

"Of course." Luba replied. Although she didn't show it, Luba was amused by Will's spirit.

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"Why would anyone build a magnificent building like this and hide it in a mountain, behind a hidden doorway?" Irma asked plaintively.

"The mountain and the deposits of Trysar hides the Stones magical signature." Luba replied "Besides, it was originally a palace for a local warlord."

The five swordmistresses, Caleb and Luba took up positions around the stone room. Luba had been most insistent about being there, stating that it was just as much her responsibility to protect the stone as it was theirs. Since they didn't have a reason not to accept her help, they didn't argue. At the rooms centre was a small altar and on it sat a small green, oval stone, the Stone of Zamballa.

An hour later, all hell broke loose. The doors exploded inwards as the body of one of the temple fighters was thrown through them.

"So" Nerissa sneered as she looked around the room. "You think you can stop me do you? I should kill you for that alone."

Before she could say any more though, Will launched her attack with a scream of rage. Their swords clashed as a fast paced battle began, both moving at almost superhuman speed. Before the others could move to help Will, Nerissa's companions entered the room. A wolf man, a winged woman made of lava, a winged man made of ice and a man with a golden mask and black wings.

The end of Caleb's staff came flying towards the golden masked man with cobra speed. The man simply grabbed it and with a sharp pull, dragged Caleb towards him and punched him in the gut. A second blow, this time to the chin, sent him flying. He hit the wall and slumped to the ground unconscious. Then he flung himself at Cornelia, who blocked him with her sword. Grabbing his wings, he pulled them off and began to use them as a pair of swords, the wing feathers turning as hard as steel. With her armoured hand and Zanbato, Cornelia and the man began a fast paced battle. Attack and counter attack, neither fighter could gain any ground.

The wolf man jumped forward, two short swords in his hands. His first swing almost cut Hay Lin in two, but at the last minute she pulled herself back. Jumping straight onto the attack, Hay Lin's batons were in her hands and she hit him in the chest with both of them. As he flew back, she twisted the bottom ends of her batons and from the top ends blades emerged.

"Cane swords" she said with a smirk. Hay Lin leapt forward, her cane swords and her arms forming a couple of straight lines, ready to deal a fatal blow. The wolf man merely held his blades out parallel to the ground in a Shinken stance. Just as Hay Lin's swords were about to hit him, he side-stepped and swung his blade round in a blow that would have split her head in two had she not twisted out the way at the last minute. Even then, his blade caught her on the face, leaving an impressive gash between her eye and ear. The two fighters turned to face one another and they began to fight, dancing around each other's attacks and launching attacks of their own.

The woman made of lava attacked Taranee with surprising ferocity. From her hands erupted a deadly scimitar, its bade glowing with the heat. Taranee countered with her own volley of attacks, spinning her sword into attack after attack. As they continued to launch fast and furious attacks, neither of them sucessfully penetrated the others defence.

The ice man pulled a couple of Sai swords from his wings. Long thin blades with two short prongs on the hilt of each blade, sai swords were widely regarded as ceremonial weapons, most fighters preferring to use sais or rapiers. With a lunge, he began his attack. Irma caught his sword in her toothed sword and with a flick of her wrist, sent him flying towards her. But as she brought her rapier forward, he caught her sword with his second and the two of them were locked in a battle of wills, each determined to free their blade first.

Luba caught Nerissa with a claw punch to the face. Nerissa swung her sword through Luba's neck in reply. But it created an opening in her defence and that was all Will needed. Launching a volley of attacks, she hit Nerissa all over her body.

"Hiten-Mitsurugi ryu Ryusosen, meaning Dragon's nest strike." She stated calmly. Turning over her blade, she raised it to kill Nerissa once and for all.

"This is for my sensei Susan Vandom." She said in a voice that belied her anger.

"That's all I need to know. The desire for something you should not have is all I need to make you mine." Nerissa chuckled. Will struggled as she felt her free will begin to drain away.

Nerissa gritted her teeth in concentration. Susan Vandom's apprentice was fighting her harder than anyone she had encountered before. Hay Lin spotted what she was doing and threw a throwing knife at her. Although the blade failed to connect, it did break Nerissa's concentration and that was enough for Will to break the spell completely. With an angry yell, Nerissa and her companions retreated.

Will turned to face Hay Lin, her face ashen with fear over how close she'd come to a fate worse then death. "Thanks Hay Lin." She murmured.

Meanwhile Nerissa and her minions returned to their camp. Nerissa was annoyed and more than a little worried. Will had been her most dangerous opponent in a while and she didn't like how close she'd come. Then an idea hit her to deal with young Will Watsuki once and for all. She began to draw on her magic and a black shape began to form out of thin air. She grinned. Let Swordmistress Watsuki handle this particular blast from her past.

AN: Sai swords are purely fictional. As far as I can tell their my own creation. Read and review.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H. But you should know that by now.

AN: The inspiration for this chapter came from XV Dragon in a PM. Thanks for the help. Reviewing the past few chapters, I've realised that I'm heading in the wrong direction pairings wise and hopefully this chapter will set me back on track for WxC instead of CxC.

Will sat on the ledge outside the temple and looked up at the stars as she contemplated her next move. Nerissa clearly knew the stone was here, although how she'd found out was a mystery. To make things worse, she found herself thinking more and more about their travelling companion, Lord Caleb. He kept entering her thoughts at random times. Like wondering about weather he liked watching the stars as well.

"Arrgh!" she yelled to the sky. Falling for Lord Caleb was a bad idea, any fool could tell her that. He was engaged to her fellow swordmistress Lady Cornelia Hale for one thing. And Will had no intention of being anyone's mistress. That always ended badly and besides, Will had far too much self-respect to be second best.

"Hey, you ok?" Taranee asked as she stepped out of the darkness. Will shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so." She answered, before continuing, "I'm sorry T, you were right. My desire for revenge almost cost me my free will. If Hay Lin hadn't intervened when she did, I'd just be some mindless thrall by now."

"Hey don't worry about it. Everybody makes mistakes, even the best of us." Taranee said as she put an arm around her friend's shoulders.

Will let out a small laugh. "The way Cornelia had a go at me earlier, you would think she didn't."

Taranee laughed too. "Yeah well that's the nobility for you. They like to pretend that they don't make mistakes. It's meant to make them seem more than human."

"Yeah?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well if you ask me, that's just plain stupid."

"Indeed. What are you planning to do about the Stone though?" Taranee asked her, switching track mid sentence. Will shook her head.

"Wish I knew T, Wish I knew."

Taranee smiled at her. "What about Lord Caleb?" she asked.

"What about Lord Caleb?" Will shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Will" Taranee began "I've known you long enough to know when you're falling for someone. Seriously Will, do you think that little of my intelligence?"

Will blushed and smiled at her friend. "Falling for Caleb is a bad idea. And I'm something of a sucker for doomed romances." Will paused for a moment. "I mean come on! He's engaged to Lady Hale-"

"Who hates his guts." Taranee cut in.

"and I'm nobodies mistress." Will finished, as though Taranee hadn't spoken.

Taranee sighed and shook her head. Most people generally got past the awkward teenage crush stage in their life as time went by, but Will, it seemed, never managed to get the hang of it. In fact, when it came to love, Will was hopeless. It had taken her over a year for her and Matt, her first boyfriend to get together and Taranee could tell that Will's feelings for Caleb were a lot stronger. Taranee opened her mouth to try and pursuade Will to at least talk to Caleb when she spotted a figure approaching from the shadows. Grabbing her sword, she cried out

"Who goes there?"

A voice chuckled from the shadows. "Have I been dead so long that you no longer recognise me, Taranee?"

"Susan?" Taranee asked incredulously.

"The one and only." The woman said as she stepped out of the shadows. Taranee stared at her in disbelief. Something was very wrong here.

"How is this possible?" Taranee asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion at the person in front of her.

"Taranee Cook I am here to help you all succeed." Susan snapped at her. "Now take me to the stone, it's vitally important." Taranee pulled herself into an attack position.

"Not until I get some answers." She snarled. "For all I know, you could be a trick of Nerissa's"

"T it's my sensei." Will cut in. "She can explain on the way."

"I dunno Will. It smells like a…" BAMN! Susan Vandom's sword smashed into the side of Taranee's head and knocked her out. Will stared at Susan.

"I am sorry Will, but I don't have a lot of time here and this is vital." Susan explained. Will frowned and nodded at her.

"Come with me sensei." She said and turned into the temple.

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Inside the temple, the others were busy preparing themselves for the next stage. Hay Lin and Irma were sparring with each other with wooden swords, each one using their respective techniques to the full, Hay Lin striking at random, with unpredictable and almost invisible attacks and Irma using Hay Lin's attacks against her. It was a testament to their respective skills that neither side found themselves able to gain an advantage. Cornelia was on the other side of the chamber facing away from them, shooting at a target. Although she wasn't hitting the bullseye, her accuracy was impressive. Her shots were consistently hitting the inner rings. Caleb was outside.

As Will entered the room, all eyes turned towards her.

"Who is that?" Cornelia asked in a hostile voice, a sense of unease forming at the back of her mind as she watched the two figures enter the chamber.

"Swordmistress Susan Vandom, sensei of Swordmistress Will Watsuki." The second figure answered as they stepped into the light. Will and Susan were standing at the entrance of the room.

"Errm Will, isn't your sensei supposed to be dead?" Irma asked in a hesitant voice.

"The stone has recalled her spirit with one purpose. To bring the stone into the spirit world, to protect it, while we deal with Nerissa and her thralls." Will replied. Cornelia scowled at her in disbelief.

"I'm not so sure about this." She said doubtfully.

Susan stepped forward. "Swordmistress Hale. You have studied magic, even though you lack the ability to perform it. Surely you know about how sometimes the spirit world chooses to intervene in times of dire need."

Cornelia's scowl was replaced by a look of surprise. Then she snatched up her crossbow and fired a bolt at Susan.

"But you're not Susan Vandom though are you?" she yelled as Susan flew backwards. "You're merely a fetch of her, a creature of dark magic moulded by Nerissa to obtain the Stone of Zamballa. You may have Susan's memories and Susan's skills, but you're not her."

Susan Vandom stood up and in the cross of her sword sat Cornelia's crossbow bolt. The others stared at her in disbelief.

"You blocked the bolt with your sword?" Cornelia asked in a surprised voice. Susan nodded. Throwing her crossbow aside, Cornelia picked up her sword and assumed a guarding stance.

Irma and Hay Lin looked from Will to Cornelia and back again, uncertain as to who was in the right. It was Will that was the deciding factor. She charged at Cornelia with cobra speed, her sword raised to attack. But as she brought the sword down Irma parried it.

"Will, wait." Irma said staring into Will's eyes. "What if she's right? What if this is one of Nerissa's tricks?"

"She's my sensei Irma." Will snarled back "You think I don't know my own sensei?"

"Will, please think about it for a minute, I'm begging you." Irma replied, but with a flick of her wrist, Will sent Irma flying. Enraged, Hay Lin charged at Will with a scream of rage and at the last moment, her arms shot out, holding her batons.

Cornelia launched her attack on Susan less than thirty seconds later, hoping that Susan would be distracted by Hay Lin's attack on Will and knowing that the moment Will finished fighting Hay Lin, she, Cornelia would stand no chance against both Will and Susan. Her sword swung in a downwards strike with a speed that seemed impossible for the huge Zanbato. Cornelia's sword smashed down onto the ground with tremendous force, but Susan Vandom dodged it with ease, jumping sideways and forwards.

Susan's jump put her just past Cornelia and with a swing of her sword, smashed the handle of her blade into Cornelia's back, followed by a swing which send Cornelia flying to crash over three metres away.

Cornelia stood up, her head ringing. Susan looked at her with interest.

"Interesting" Susan began, a look of amusement forming on her face "You are the only person I have ever met who has taken a hit like that and gotten back up immediately."

"You've clearly never fought an Earth discipline sword fighter before then." Cornelia growled back. What Cornelia failed to mention was that even among Earth discipline swordmasters, few could take a hit like the one she just took and get back up.

"Very well then." Susan said with an evil looking smile on her face. "Let's finish this."

Will, meanwhile fought Irma and Hay Lin with tremendous speed, her sword swinging between the two of them with tremendous speed, parrying and striking out with minimum effort. Irma parried one of Will's strikes with her toothed sword, only for Will to push her sword forward and to smash its tip on her head, knocking her out cold. Hay Lin fared only a little better. Sucessfully dodging Will's strikes, she launched an attack of her own, leaping forward with her batons stretched forward, matching her arms. Will stepped sideways, dodging Hay Lin's attack and swung her sword forward, smashing it into Hay Lin's face with tremendous force, knocking her out.

Caleb charged into the chamber, drawn by all the noise. Staff in hand, he threw himself at Cornelia at the same time Will and Susan did. Will's sword flew into Cornelia's back as she flew past her. Susan's blade flew into Cornelia's chest and Caleb's staff flew up under Cornelia's chin. As all three weapons hit her, Cornelia went down. Caleb turned towards Will.

"Will, what's going on here?" He asked, clearly puzzled.

"It's a long story Caleb, I'll explain later. Suffice to say that they were…" Will paused, uncertain of how to continue. Then she shook her head, like a dog clearing it's ears. She turned to face Susan and said "Sensei, this is wrong." Susan turned her head to face Will.

"No it isn't." she said and with a sudden swing of her sword swept under Will's chin and sent her flying. Caleb threw himself at her with a roar, his staff spinning, to clash with her sword. A brief fight ensued, Caleb's staff swinging to counter every blow swung by Susan, but he was simply not good enough and after parrying a low sweeping blow, he was hit by Susan sliding her sword up his staff and smashed her sword into his chin.

Susan stepped up to the altar and stretched her hand towards the stone, when a clay ball with a burning wick thudded at her feet, causing her to look down.

Boom! The ball exploded and killed her instantly. Caleb turned his head to face the thrower of the grenade, his head still groggy from the blow that he received from Susan. Standing in one of the doorways into the chamber was swordmistress Taranee Cook with an angry snarl on her face.

"You were never Susan Vandom, creature" she said to the rapidly dissolving form that was Susan Vandom. Or more accurately, the thing that had mimicked Susan Vandom.

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Two hours later

"So, does anyone have any idea what that thing was?" Will asked as she looked around the rest of the group, comprised of the rest of W.I.T.C.H and Caleb.

"It was a Fetch." Cornelia replied, before continuing "A creature summoned up by dark magic, that can assume the memories and skills of a person who has died. They exert a low level form of mind control over people who were very close to the person they mimic." She paused, looking at Will. "It used your connection to Swordmistress Susan Vandom to exert control over you. What surprises me is that you broke free of it. I've never heard of it happening before."

"So what you fought was…" Will began.

"Essentially how Susan Vandom would have fought me. But a fetch is a slave to whoever summoned it up. It has no feelings, merely the illusion of them and it will do whatever's necessary to complete their mission." Cornelia finished. Cornelia gave Will a hard stare. "Swordmistress Will Watsuki, I believe that you are a liability to this team, your personal involvement with Nerissa has been used against you twice by Nerissa, the first time it was unsuccessful, the second time it almost succeeded. I don't want there to be a third time. I believe that for all our sakes, you should be replaced by another Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryo master."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Taranee protested.

"Yeah, what if it had been you that had been controlled like that!" Irma added indignantly.

"If I had been controlled, the rest of you would be able to stop me." Cornelia replied calmly "Will is the most powerful member of our group and she can defeat us all. Which is why I propose that she is replaced by another swordmaster when we get back to Meridian. Nerissa already has the Sword of Candracar and a light of Meridian, my best friend Queen Elyon. All she needs is to get her hands on the Stone of Zamballa and she has what she needs to rule the world."

Will sighed. She knew that Cornelia was right and that annoyed her.

"Very well then. When we get back to Meridian, I will give up my role in favour of a better candidate" Will said and she turned away, determined not to be seen crying as she felt herself break down.

AN: I know Cornelia sounds a little heartless in this chapter, but she is actually being pragmatic. What she doesn't know (none of them do yet, including Will) is that Will is vital to the success of their quest.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: It's on . What do you think? Of course I don't own W.I.T.C.H or Rurouken.

AN: Thank you my anonymous reviewer(s) Yes Cornelia's style is based off of Sangara Sanosuke's fighting style. And yes, the use of the names Nobuhiro and Watsuki are homage to the creator of Rurouni Kenshin.

AN2: Yes I know that in the world of Rurouni Kenshin, swordsmanship and martial arts are classed as separate things, but they are actually martial arts.

Of course it was a lot easier said than done to replace Will. Swordmasters were not the most common martial artists in the world and masters of Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu were even harder. Then there was the small matter of their injuries. While Will, Irma and Taranee had sustained only minor injuries, Hay Lin needed a few days to recover her balance and Cornelia had sustained two broken ribs, internal bleeding and a mild concussion.

So while the Oracle sought out a replacement for Will, it was agreed that the others would wait for a couple of weeks.

Nerissa was unlikely to launch another attack for at least another week or two, Cornelia informed them. Creating a fetch was a tremendous strain on the human body and Nerissa was sure to want to face Will in peak condition, especially after their last fight. (Although Will was well aware that she only won because of Luba's intervention. Had Luba not gotten involved, Will might not have won.)

So while they waited for Cornelia and Hay Lin to recover fully, Will and the others prepared themselves for the next battle and the journey ahead. (No-one was under any delusions that moving the stone would go without Nerissa making at least one attempt on the Stone.)

Taranee was using the time to make some more explosives, like the bomb she used to kill Nerissa's fetch.

Irma was practising her swordsmanship.

Will on the other hand, was trying to pursuade Luba's successor Orube to allow them to take the Stone with them to Meridian for its own safety.

"The Stone has been protected by this order for as long as it has existed. We've fought off countless attackers, stopped whole armies in their tracks, even stopped Hitokori before." Orube stated angrily.

"Nerissa broke through your defences. She wants the Stone and now she knows where it is for sure, she will come after it. After the last time, can't you see that it is foolishness keeping the Stone here?" Will snapped back.

"Next time we will be better prepared. She took a secret tunnel that we did not know about last time. Next time, we WILL be ready to stop her." Orube pointed out. "Besides which, you almost gave her fetch the Stone. Why should I trust you?"

Will sighed in annoyance. Their conversations generally followed this pattern over the course of the week. Eventually Orube agreed to let them take the Stone on one proviso. Orube was to accompany them, all the way to Meridian and see that it was safely returned as well. And much as Will was loathe to admit it, Orube was one of the few people who could hold their own against a master of Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu.

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Nerissa on the other hand was recovering from creating the Fetch, much as Cornelia had suggested. As she slept one night during her recovery, her dreams took a sudden turn.

She was standing in a clearing, in the middle of a forest. In front of her stood a small shrine. Sitting on a boulder beside the shrine was a man wearing white trousers and a white jacket, smoking a cigarette. His black scarf was blowing in the wind and two swords were hanging off his belt.

As Nerissa approached him, he looked up and Nerissa felt a shiver run down her spine. Nerissa felt no compunction about killing, but this man, this man was something else.

"So we finally meet, Nerissa." The man said and Nerissa saw the distinctly crazy gleam in his eyes. Then it hit her who this man was.

"Jin-e!" she gasped in surprise.

He gave her a crazy smile. "Yes I am he."

"But how?" she asked in a stunned voice. (A rarity for Nerissa.)

"Let's just say I've been watching your progress." Jin-e replied. He paused for a moment, as if unsure as to how to continue. "I must admit, I rather like your style. A Meridian under your rule would restore Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu to its true purpose, as a means of killing, not this weakness we see in the world today." He paused and spat in disgust. "Kenshin's weakness needs to be ended and you are the one to do it. But not as you are now." Jin-e shook his head calmly. "No, Kenshin's heir is extremely capable. You must embrace the heart of your swordsmanship."

"But how?" Nerissa asked, puzzled as to how she was supposed to embrace the heart of her swordsmanship.

"All you need do is take the sword from the shrine. It will give you the skills to defeat any swordmaster today. But be warned. Once you take the blade, there will be no turning back." Jin-e replied calmly.

Without hesitation, Nerissa grabbed the sword sitting in the small shrine.

"I never turn back." She hissed and Jin-e grinned.

When she woke, she was holding the same sword from her dream.

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Nerissa watched as the Stone and its escort left the mountain. She watched as they walked down an entirely different route to the one they came in by, perhaps trying to throw her off the scent. For the next three days, she watched and did nothing.

"What are we waiting for?" Shagon asked impatiently. "They're isolated and the chances of any reinforcements are practically none existent."

"Quiet!" Nerissa snapped back, slamming the hilt of her sword onto Shagon's forehead. She continued in a calmer voice. "I choose the time we attack, not you. I want them to think that their little plan has worked and I've been thrown off the scent. Besides, my dear Shagon, the port is still two days travel from here, we have plenty of time."

Shagon bowed to Nerissa. "I acknowledge your superiority, great one."

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"Looks like our little decoy route shook her off." Cornelia said as the five swordmistresses stared into the fire. Orube and Caleb were keeping watch, while the others rested.

Will shook her head. "Somehow, I'm not so sure."

"Surely she would've attacked by now." Cornelia persisted.

"My old master taught me that an air discipline waits for an enemy to lower their guard before striking a killer blow." Hay Lin added.

"Well personally, I'm inclined to agree with Corny here." Irma interjected. "I know Corny's just a dumb Earth discipline, but Nerissa isn't exactly renown for her patience, is she?"

"Don't call me Corny!" Cornelia snapped. "Just because my discipline is superior to yours, doesn't mean you have to cut me down to your level."

"You're just jealous, because your discipline lacks my finesse and grace. Not to mention the fact that my style would let me kick your butt all the way back to Meridian." Irma replied.

"Yeah, you wish." Cornelia shot back, a slight smirk forming on her face.

"Yeah? Well Miss I'm-so-superior, how about we have a little sparring match? Just you and me." Irma challenged.

"You're on!" Cornelia shot back. "When this is over, I'm so kicking your butt."

"Ha! To afraid to take me on now are you?" Irma taunted.

Cornelia was about to reply, when a sudden pop interrupted them. Standing in the middle of the camp was Nerissa and her minions.

There was a brief moment of silence. Then the swords began to swing and the battle began.

A flying kick from Khor hit Hay Lin in the chest, followed by a sweeping motion across her stomach. Hay Lin clutched her stomach and keeled over.

Cornelia's Zanbato swung up to meet Shagon's downward sweeping blades, only to be forced downwards. Shagon's huge twin blades cleaved through her sword and right through across her chest.

Taranee's sword spun into action in a spinning motion, Ember's scimitar came in at the same height, before suddenly changing directions and slashing Taranee's legs. As Taranee fell to the ground, Ember brought her fiery scimitar down on Taranee's chest.

Irma's toothed sword caught Tridart's left sai sword, but as she lunged with her rapier, Tridart caught it with his right hand sai sword. He slid his blade down her rapier with unbelievable speed and rammed the point into her chest. Irma fell backwards as he pulled his blade out.

Will swung her sword downwards towards Nerissa's head as an opening attack. Nerissa corkscrewed upwards and left. Her sword slashed Will's arm, before Nerissa slammed her sword hilt into the back of Will's neck. As Will fell forward, Nerissa twisted her sword in her hand and stabbed Will in the back, Nerissa's sword went through Will's gut.

Nerissa looked around the camp to see her Knights triumphant. With a maniacal grin on her face, she bent down and picked up the Stone of Zamballa, just as Caleb and Orube came charging into the camp.

"Too slow you fools!" Nerissa cackled triumphantly as she stood up. Caleb saw Will lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. With a yell, he charged at Nerissa, staff spinning to attack. Orube also jumped into the attack, pulling out her nunchuck and swinging it at Nerissa.

A swift punch to the jaw from Shagon sent Caleb flying and ended his attack. Nerissa swung her sword in a killing swipe to Orube's neck. But Orube was no slouch when it came to fighting and blocked the strike with her nunchuck chain. Nerissa paused for a moment. Then with a shout of laughter, clicked her fingers and vanished, as did her knights.

Caleb fell to his knees beside Will's body. Surely this wasn't how it was supposed to end, Nerissa victorious and the five chosen ones lying dead.

"Caleb, give me a hand here!" Orube rapped out. Caleb turned and glared at her.

"Can't you let me mourn in peace!" He snapped at Orube.

"Caleb." Orube began in a strained voice "They're not dead…."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: As if I'm ANYWHERE good enough to produce W.I.T.C.H or Rurouni Kenshin.

AN: I'm sorry that this update is so late, I'm afraid the muse has been awkward about this fic.

Will opened her eyes. Her head was busy floating mid-air (well, technically it wasn't, but that's how it felt.) The whole world seemed to have taken a slightly ethereal, dream-like quality that made it hard to focus.

As her head started to clear, she looked around. She was in a dojo of some kind. Not one she recognised, but definitely a dojo. There were a few bokken on the walls and the and on the floor was her sakabato, but otherwise the room was completely empty.

"Hello?" Will called out. "Is there anybody here?"

"I'm not quiet sure what you mean by anyone." A voice told her from behind. Recognising the voice instantly, Will spun herself around and came face to face with Susan Vandom. As Will scrabbled for her sword, Susan sighed.

"I'm not a fetch, or creature of dark magic Will." Susan said gently, with her hands held up and open to show she wasn't armed. Will pulled her sword up to her waist, when suddenly something caught her attention. Going through her midriff was a massive hole. A large, sword shaped hole.

"Oh damn. I'm dead, aren't I?" Will asked and Susan smiled in amusement.

"Not exactly dead. More like…in-between." Susan said gently. Susan stepped forward and hugged Will. "I've missed you, little one."

"I'm not so little any more." Will replied through her tears. She was hugging Susan back as hard as she could and would have been prepared to be a child once more just to stay with Susan.

"I couldn't resist sweetie." Susan let Will go, placed her hands on Will's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "But I'm not the one who you're here to talk to."

"What do you mean Sensei?" Will asked in a puzzled voice. Susan began to fade away.

"You need to talk to him." Susan said as she faded away.

"Who's him?" Will asked. "Sensei, wait, please!"

"I believe your sensei was talking about this one." Came a mans voice from behind her. Will turned around and came face to face with a redheaded man with a cross-shaped scar on his cheek. His eyes were probably his most striking feature. Playful and teasing, there was also a deepness to them that hinted at deeply hidden darkness, in spite of their light-blue colouring.

"You're Himura Kenshin!" Will exclaimed as she realised precisely who she was looking at.

"That is correct, Miss Watsuki." Himura replied playfully. His face then turned serious. "Nerissa has embraced the heart of the assassin Jin-E. To face her on equal terms, you must embrace the heart of your discipline."

"How do I do that?" Will asked curiously. She'd never even heard of the idea of embracing the heart of her discipline. It sounded far too much like magic and not in keeping with the ethos of swordsmanship.

"You have to take this sword." Himura replied, raising the sword in his hand. Will opened her hand for him to hand it over. Himura shook his head. "No, you have to take it off of me with your sword."

"But…"

"This one has to know that you're worthy of this power. That you can be trusted." Himura paused and looked Will in the eye. "That you are capable to wielding this power."

Will raised her sword. "How will you know that I can wield this power? That I can be trusted?"

Himura smiled. "In battle, a true master of Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu can read a persons soul."

Will smiled back and leapt into an attack. Leaping into the air, she swung her sword down with as much force as she could muster. Despite the fact that her sword was moving so fast that it was little more than a blur, it didn't connect. As Will landed on the dojo floor, she spun and desperately parried Himura's sword as it swung towards her. Himura used the power of her block to smack the hilt of his sword into her liver.

"You have a good soul Swordmistress Watsuki, I can see that. And you have proved to be capable. But you must defeat me to take my sword." Himura said firmly. Will raised her blade once more and swung upwards. At the last minute, she switched direction with her sword so that it came in sideways instead. Himura parried the blow and spun his sword so fast that Will barely had time to avoid the blade smashing into her nose.

Himura stepped back and gave her a deep look. It felt like he was examining the very depths of her soul. Finally, after what felt like an age, he spoke.

"You have talent and considerable skill, but you are not ready yet." He said as he slowly faded away.

"How will I become ready?" Will yelled in frustration.

"By learning from your friends." Himura's voice replied and the dojo dissolved away.

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

Irma groaned as she opened her eyes. She felt like she was having a hangover, without actually having been drunk. The sound of the tide, normally so soothing, only added to Irma's headache and the sand she was laying in made her feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it does tend to have that effect on people." A mans voice said and Irma snapped to her feet.

"Who the hell are you?" She blurted out, snapping to her feet and spreading sand everywhere. A puzzled look crossed Irma's face as she looked around at the beach environment around her. "And where the hell am I?"

A tall, pale-skinned man with light-blonde hair walked across her field of view and looked her in the eye. Then he smiled.

"I see that water discipline swordmasters are as eloquent as ever." The man said with a chuckle. As Irma opened her mouth once more, he continued. "In answer to your first question, I am Ralph Soresson."

"He's been dead for nearly a hundred years!" Irma blurted out and the man grinned.

"And you are in the realm between life and death." Ralph finished. Irma snapped to her feet and pulled out her rapier. It was then that she noticed the gaping hole in her chest caused by Tridart's Sai sword. With a look of disbelief, Irma fell down on to her backside.

"I have a message to tell you. Nerissa has embraced the heart of her discipline." Ralph paused. "There is a person who has the potential to defeat Nerissa, but she needs your help."

"Mine?" Irma asked, with a puzzled expression.

"Yes. You know the person. In fact, you've already met her." Ralph told her cryptically. Irma rolled her eyes.

"Do you mind telling me who it is then?" Irma drawled sarcastically. Ralph smiled.

"Haven't you guessed? She's your travelling companion, Will Watsuki."

"Will has already defeated Nerissa once." Irma pointed out.

"Would you be here if Will was able to defeat her now?" Ralph countered. "Nerissa has embraced the Heart of her discipline and given her soul over to Jin-E. That is why Nerissa is so powerful now, that is why you NEED to teach Will."

Ralph leaned over and whispered in Irma's ear and Irma knew what she had to do.

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

Flames danced across Taranee's vision, aggravating her already painful headache. Even with her eyes closed, Taranee could still see the flames and it irritated her. Opening her eyes, Taranee gave a gasp of surprise.

Dancing around on an oil-slicked floor, flames surrounded her. The heat was intense and Taranee felt herself sweat. As the flames continued to dance, Taranee observed that despite the fact that the flames were burning intensely, they didn't come any closer.

"Very curious." Taranee murmured to herself. "I wonder how they keep their distance?"

"They keep their distance because they obey me." A quiet voice mentioned from behind. Taranee spun round and saw a woman with white-blond hair and a round face looking at her. Seeing Taranee's puzzled look, the woman decided to continue.

"I am Halinor, founder of the fire discipline swordsmanship." Halinor put her hand up to interrupt Taranee before she could interrupt. "I have been dead for almost one hundred years, but we are not in the land of the living any more Miss Cook."

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Taranee asked. Taranee's intellect was telling her that she shouldn't take everything at face value, but Taranee's gut instinct trusted this woman for some reason that she couldn't place.

"Not exactly. You are in, for want of a better term, at the place between life and death." Halinor said firmly. "Your friend Will Watsuki is the one who has the potential to defeat Nerissa. But as Nerissa is now, Will would not win a confrontation, as your presence demonstrates." Halinor paused and looked Taranee in the eye. "You must teach her this." And Halinor placed her head beside Taranee's ear and whispered and Taranee knew what she had to do.

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

Cornelia stood up and shook the mud out of her hair. It was going to take her WEEKS to get it out. (Cornelia was studiously ignoring the two huge slashes down her chest.)

"Urgh. You'd think that in the afterlife, you wouldn't have to worry about cleaning yourself up." She moaned. Add the fact that she had a splitting headache and Cornelia was feeling exceptionally grumpy with the world.

"Are all Earth Swordmasters this fussy, or is it just you?" A young man asked as he stepped out of the forest around them. Cornelia looked him in the eye.

"If you looked after your appearance half as well as I did, YOU'D be annoyed as well!" Cornelia snapped back, looking at the mans messy black-brown hair and open white jacket, which was edged with black. The piece of straw hanging out of his mouth simply meant that he gave off a slightly idiotic air. The man laughed.

"You're not dead yet, Swordmistress Hale." The man said, his brown eyes sparkling. "My name is Sagara Sanosuke and you need to listen to what I say."

"How can I be not dead? I have two huge sword slashes down my chest, leading right through my lungs!" Cornelia pointed out, gesturing at her chest.

"Hey, medical magic's are not my area of expertise." Sanosuke said with a shrug. "I'm here to tell you what you need to be doing while you wait."

"So I'm not stuck here forever. That's a relief." Cornelia countered. Sanosuke chuckled once more.

"No. There is someone who has the potential to defeat Nerissa. But she needs your help." Sanosuke continued, before pausing.

"Who?" Cornelia asked, her curiosity aroused. Sanosuke's grin threatened to split his face in two.

"You already know her. She is Swordmaster Will Watsuki."

"Will is physically strong and mentally weak. Nerissa has far too much history with Will for Will to ever defeat her with Hiten-Mitsurugi ryu." Cornelia snorted contemptuously.

"It is because of Will's history with Nerissa, that makes her the right person for the job." Sanosuke hissed quietly. Cornelia turned pale and for once, she was speechless. Taking advantage, Sanosuke decided to press his point.

"You need to teach her." He said firmly. Cornelia shook her head.

"Her style is incompatible with mine. She uses a Sakabato and I use a Zanbato. They require entirely different styles to use."

Sanosuke leaned over and whispered in Cornelia's ear. Cornelia gasped in shock.

"Surely she'll never master that!" Cornelia protested. "And what use would it be if she could?"

Sanosuke just smiled at her and faded away.

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

"This is so cool!" Hay Lin exclaimed as she jumped around her surroundings. "It's like walking on clouds!"

"Clouds is as good a description as any." A young woman said from behind her. Spinning on her heel, Hay Lin faced the owner of the voice. A young woman, little more than a girl really, stood there. Dressed identically to Hay Lin, the diminutive girl had bright blue eyes that sparkled with life and her long black hair was tied into a ponytail that went down her back.

"Hi, I'm Swordmistress Hay Lin! Who are you?" Hay Lin asked brightly, while slowly reaching for her swords in case the girl was hostile.

"I'm Makimachi Misao." The girl answered brightly. "You don't need to reach for your swords, I'm not hostile."

"Really?" Hay Lin in a puzzled voice. "But you've been dead for…"

"Just under one hundred years. Yes, I know. But I'd look at myself if I were you."

Hay Lin looked down and let out a gasp of surprise. Her guts had been sliced open and they were literally hanging out of her body.

"You are not dead yet, little one." Misao continued and Hay Lin stifled a laugh. To be called little one by someone who was about the same height as her sounded like a bad joke. "Rather, you are at the place between life and death."

Hay Lin nodded thoughtfully. Her Grandmother had taught her about this place, stories and legends. Swallowing hard, Hay Lin asked the obvious question.

"What am I here to do?"

Misao smiled. "You seem a little presumptuous." She replied in a purring voice. "Why would you be here for a reason?"

"Because otherwise I would be dead." Hay Lin countered and Misao smiled again.

"So you have been paying attention to what your Grandmother told you. Very good." Misao paused briefly. "Yes, you have an important role to play indeed. Come closer, it is not something to be spoken out loud."

Hay Lin leaned over and Misao whispered in Hay Lin's ear. Hay Lin let out a small gasp of surprise at what Misao whispered.

"But ho-" Hay Lin began, but Misao cut her off mid-word.

"You will know how when the time comes." Misao stated as she faded away.

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

Nerissa surveyed the XV-Dragon in front of her. Nodding to her companions, she stepped forward towards the captain.

"Nice ship you have here." She commented dryly. The captain turned and faced her.

"The fastest ship in the world madam." The captain said proudly. Nerissa smiled.

"Good. We'll take it."

"I'm sorry, but this ship is already bo-" The captains words were cut off mid-sentence as Nerissa's sword swept out of its scabbard and through his neck. As the captains head flew through the air, Peter Cook, who had been talking to the captain before he'd turned to face Nerissa protested.

"Hey what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Nerissa grabbed Peter and rammed the sword through his guts. Then, ripping the sword out, she swung it through his neck.

"Does anyone else have any objections?" she asked sweetly. "No? Then lets get a move on."

W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.

Will looked at the white slash in the air in front of her. Swallowing hard, Will stepped into the slash and came face to face with her first teacher.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.

"Where am I?" Will asked as she stared at sea, slowly making waves on the beach she was standing on. "It hardly seems the place to meet s great swordmaster."

"Thank you very much Will." A familiar voice said from behind her. Will spun around and was suddenly knocked off balance as Irma hugged her.

"It looks like Nerissa definitely beat you." Irma said in a deadpan voice, gesturing to the massive hole in Will's midriff. "It's a very annoying habit of hers, killing people you know." Will stared in disbelief at the water discipline swordswoman in disbelief, but Irma continued unabated. "Someone should tell her that it's terribly inconsiderate of her."

Will stared in disbelief at Irma and raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't…take a blow to the head or anything?" she asked curiously. Although the hole in Irma's chest was crystal clear and Will hadn't seen the water discipline swordswoman get hit on the head, she was sure that Irma was sounding crazier than usual. Irma laughed.

"Na, just this thing here. C'mon Will, where's your sense of humour?"

"I think it fell out when Nerissa did this to me." Will replied darkly, gesturing to the hole in her gut. "So where is this swordmaster who's supposed to teach me?"

"Well let me introduce to you, the stunning, the amazing, the truly great," Irma paused for dramatic effect. "IRMA LAIR!"

There was a moment of silence, before Irma started talking again. "I know, I know, I'm just too amazing for words."

"You're not exactly who I was expecting." Will said weakly.

"I know, you thought you'd have to deal with a second-rate teacher like Corny, but no, you've got the best." Irma replied breezily.

"You did get stabbed through the chest by Tridart."

"Details, details." Irma said airily. "If Nerissa hadn't boosted his powers up with that 'Heart of her discipline' magic, I'd have hammered him. Now attack me."

"Excuse me?"

"Attack me. Try to hit me with your sword." Irma said again with a teasing smile. Will looked at he dubiously and drew her blade.

"Ok." Will replied dubiously, before stepping forward and taking a downward sweep. Irma grinned and twisted her body sideways and using her toothed sword, she caught Will's blade and sent Will flying with a jerk of her wrist and a twist of her body.

"By the way, did I mention the fact that your Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu skills aren't working at the moment?" Irma asked with a sweet smile. Will gave Irma a withering glare and muttered a few colourful invectives about Irma, her parentage and her discipline. "Oops, my bad. I'm only here to teach you one thing."

"And what would that be?" Will snapped. Irma grinned again.

"Tut tut, swordmasters should know better than to lose their temper." Irma said with an immensely annoying smirk. "It's a secret move, best shown with this little toy." Irma pulled out a stick with what appeared to be a flat drum on a stick. Hanging at both sides of the stick hung a pair of beads on either side, on the ends of a pair of short strings. Irma twisted the stick side to side and the beads made a rattling noise as they hit the sides. "Figure out the secret of the rattle and the secret of water style swordsmanship will be yours."

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Lillian Hale stood glaring at the ship that was approaching over the horizon. She wasn't supposed to be here, she knew that. When her headmistress and a tall bald man who called himself the Oracle had taken her to a carriage and taken her away to what was supposed to be safety.

They didn't know that Lillian had managed to master psychometrics and had learnt about what had happened to her sister. Nor did they know that she had mastered translocation over land. They CERTAINLY didn't know that she could send seeking spells off in the wrong direction. (As a point of fact, they were currently chasing her cat Napoleon!)

Lightening crackled around Lillian's hair and arms, while fires smouldered in her eyes as the XV-Dragon approached the shore. And slowly, she began to weave her spell.

"Hurt my sister you b#$%#? Well you won't get to hurt anyone else ever AGAIN!" and with that statement, she threw an explosive storm from the heavens straight down to the ship. As the ship splintered into a thousand pieces, Lillian gave a grim smile.

"Was that REALLY necessary?" a mans voice asked behind her. Lillian spun round and came face to face with a tall man with a golden face mask on his face.

"What the…" Lillian's voice trailed off as she looked at the obviously magical construct standing in front of her.

"A little girl like you should know to behave herself and listen to the adults who tried to keep her safe." The man continued and Lillian's eyes widened as she spotted the two black wings on his back. He grabbed her by the throat with one hand.

"You're only twelve years old, aren't you?" he asked. Lillian nodded as best she could and the man continued. "Well young lady, I knew your sister very well." He paused and tightened his grip slightly. Lillian pulled her magic in to avoid losing consciousness. "Her name was Cornelia, wasn't it?"

Lillian could barely squeak a reply, but the man seemed to understand. Her vision slowly started to tunnel as her magic started to give way.

"You look like her. Especially as you die." The man continued. With a simple twist of his arm, he snapped her neck with a sickening crack.

"Well done my servant." Nerissa said with a smile as the real XV-Dragon floated over the horizon. "Await our arrival."

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will glared at the rattle as she spun it around in her hands once more. What on Earth could a simple child's toy have to teach her? She pondered. It wasn't magic, there wasn't any hidden ciphers or secret compartments hidden in it. When Will had told this to Irma, Irma simply laughed.

"You're trying to hard Will." Irma chuckled. "Take a swing at me and watch what I do."

Drawing out her sword, Will swung at Irma and again, Irma caught her blade in her toothed sword and turned sideways. Again, she jerked her wrist and sent Will flying.

"What was the point of THAT!" Will snapped angrily

"You need to learn to use your eyes, my dear Will." Irma told Will in an infuriatingly calm voice. She pointed at the rattle. "You need to figure out the secret of the rattle."

Will let out a frustrated curse and Irma snickered. She had been exactly the same when HER master had given her the rattle.

"Remember Will, the secret is in the rattle!"

Will gave Irma another colourful invective, made up of swears that most people didn't even know existed and the last one was physically impossible. Irma grinned.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Caleb looked down at the still bodies of the five swordmistresses lying on the soft white beds. Bandages and dressings covered their bodies and in the sterile environment of the temples hospital wing, they were pale enough to pass for dead. Only the facts that they were breathing (albeit, with magical support.) indicated that they were alive at all and not merely wax figures.

"Will, if you can hear me, please come back." He whispered to her. Tears began slowly running down his cheeks. "I never got to tell you how much I admire you, how you have managed to slip into my very bones," Caleb paused for a moment. "I never told you that I loved you."

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Nerissa scowled as she looked at the village in front of her. She remembered this village well. It had used to be her home and was the nearest to the town of Heatherfield, where her former friend Yan Lin lived. Drawing her sword, she took a deep breath and motioned for her minions to move in.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will's eyes suddenly widened as she suddenly understood the puzzle in front of her. She turned to face Irma.

"Irma! I've got it!" she yelled, Irma motioned for Will to come closer.

"Then show me." Irma challenged. Drawing her sword, Will swung at Irma in the same way she had done before. Predictably, Irma turned her body sideways and caught Will's sword in her toothed one, but before she could send Will flying, Will twisted her body the other way from her sword attack and slammed her fist into Irma's gut. Irma crumpled to the ground.

"That hurt Will!" Irma protested and Will grinned.

"You did ask me to figure out the secret of the rattle." Will countered smirking. Revenge was very sweet. "And I did."

"You did indeed." Irma admitted ruefully. "Congratulations Will, I think your next teacher awaits."

Another white slash appeared and Will grinned at Irma once more.

"I hope the next teacher is better than you!" she shouted out good-naturedly and before Irma could retort, Will stepped through the slash.

"Congratulations Irma, you actually did it."

Irma turned to face Ralph Soresson and he continued. "Although perhaps you could have been more helpful?"

"Where's the fun in that!" Irma protested with a smile.

"Where's the fun indeed?" Ralph replied with amusement. He drew his swords and suddenly his face was serious.

"With these swords come great power and the responsibility to use that power properly. Irma Lair, I entrust you with the heart of your discipline. Use it well."

"I will." Irma replied solemnly as she took the swords. "I will."

AN: I know that some of you will hate me for killing of a kid, especially one that we saw as a six year old in the series (She is twelve in this chapter.) but Nerissa isn't exactly fussy about trying to imprison and use her, so I figured that she would not be too hesitant about killing a twelve year old girl.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: If I were good enough to create either series, then I'd be a hell of a lot better than I am now.

The first thing Will noticed when she stepped through the portal was the sheer heat that surrounded her. It made the air shimmer and threatened to knock her over with its intensity. The second thing she noticed was the complete absence of a single living thing. The oil-slicked area was devoid of any life whatsoever.

"What the hell?" she pondered aloud. She scanned the area again and again she saw nothing there but the flames. "Where is my teacher?" she asked again. Suddenly a wall of fire leapt at Will, but before it reached her it stopped and reformed into a human shape. A moment later, it assumed human features, features that Will knew very well indeed. But then again, how could she not recognise the face of her best friend for years? Looking Will in the eye was a fiery version of Taranee Cook.

"You really need to learn the difference between illusion and reality Will." The Fire-Taranee (Until she had a better name, Fire-Taranee would have to do.) chuckled. "I'm waiting for you on the other side of the flames."

"Are you nuts! Those flames would burn me away!" Will protested. The Fire Taranee smiled.

"And you are going to use your to throw them forward and aside." She told Will. "I just have to teach you."

"How?" Will asked in frustration. Why on Earth these teachers had to be so frustrating was beyond her.

The Fire Taranee pulled out a candle of fire and sat it down in front of Will. It quickly solidified into a real candle, still lit.

"You need to focus on the candle. Focus and meditate on the flame, become one with it." The fire Taranee gave Will a sympathetic smile. "You will understand everything when you master the candle."

"You know that I'm not good at meditation." Will grumbled and the Fire- Taranee shook her head.

"Well I can't help you there my friend. Just try to breath slowly and concentrate. Gently." Fire-Taranee told Will. "I cannot push the flames aside for you. Focus on the flame and become one with it."

"Taranee, you are starting to sound like a blasted priest." Will snarled slightly.

"Will, I know how frustrating this is, but if you can't master this, then the rest will be beyond you." The Fire-Taranee told her soothingly. "I complained to you about mastering it when I was learning as well, remember?"

Will nodded with a smile as she did indeed remember. Then another question immediately left Will's lips.

"It took you TWO WEEKS to master this! And you were one of the fastest to master it! How am I supposed to master this before I starve to death!"

"Time doesn't matter here Will, so that's not going to be a problem." Fire-Taranee pointed out in an annoyingly calm voice. "Besides, you have me to help you. Sort of."

"Really?"

"Will open up your hand." Fire-Taranee said in an exasperated voice. Giving her friend a puzzled look, Will did what she was asked. The flame leapt from the candle and landed on Will's hand. Will instinctively pulled away with a yelp of surprise.

"What the…"

"Will, for the love of Candracar, hold still." Fire Taranee said in exasperation. Will gave the Fire-Taranee a long stare.

"How do I know you're really Taranee?" Will challenged. Fire Taranee rolled her eyes in a way that only Taranee really could.

"Will, in case you haven't noticed, I can't exactly kill you here and if I was here to hurt you, then all I'd have to do is leave you here." Fire-Taranee pointed out. Will gave her friend a rueful smile and opened her hand once more.

"So how come you're able to do this stuff anyway?" Will asked curiously. "I know you've never had the aptitude for magic."

"It's not magic. The flames are basically chi given physical form." Fire-Taranee replied. "Now hold still."

Will sat deadly still and allowed the candle flame to float onto her hand. She could feel the heat from the flame, the way it wanted to burn her hand. But she felt completely safe from the flames.

"Try putting the flame back." Fire-Taranee said and Will narrowed her eyes in concentration. She focused all of her chi on the small dancing flame, but try as she might, she couldn't even make it move so much as an inch. Sweat poured down her brow and eventually Will was forced to blink. This broke her concentration and Fire-Taranee sighed.

"That's why you need to become one with the flame Will." Fire-Taranee told Will in an exasperated voice. With a little effort, Taranee sent the candle flame back onto the candle. "Perhaps I should leave you alone to focus." She finally said, and with a flash of flames, Fire-Taranee was absorbed by flames once more. Will stared after her for a moment, before returning her concentration to the candle in front of her.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"We don't have any horses for sale at all." The barkeeper said with a shake of his head.

"None at all. Not one in this entire village?" Nerissa demanded angrily. The barkeep, an elderly man with glasses shook his head.

"Well you could try asking one of our patrons to sell you one of theirs, but I doubt that they'd agree. Horses and carriages are pretty vital around here, doubt you could get them to part with them for love or money."

"We'll wait. I'm sure I can be…persuasive." Nerissa replied in a cold voice that sent shivers up the barkeeper's spine.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will stared resentfully at the candle flame with some resentment. Despite giving the candle her full attention and focus for the past two days and was still no closer to becoming one with the flame than she was when she had started.

"Stupid thing, why can't I get it?" she pondered aloud.

"Well show me what you're doing and perhaps I can help."

Will snapped her head around and saw the figure of Fire-Taranee standing there. Will resumed her meditation and the Fire-Taranee shook her head. Gradually, Will continued to increase her focus until she could focus no more.

"I see the problem. You're focusing too hard." Fire-Taranee told her and she started to massage Will's shoulders and Will slowly felt herself relax. Suddenly, without warning, Will suddenly felt it.

"I got it!" Will exclaimed in surprise. "I actually felt one with the flame!"

"Can you return to that point? On your own?" Fire-Taranee asked curiously. Will turned her attention to the candle flame and once more tried to bring herself to that point. After a while, she shook her head.

"No, I don't think so." She said and Fire-Taranee gave her a small smile.

"But you did get there for a moment. Call me when you get back to it." Fire-Taranee said with a small smile. "Now you've actually gotton it back. It shouldn't take long."

"But-"

"Goodbye Will." And with that, Fire-Taranee whispered back into the flames. Will glared at the flames once more.

"Why are all of my 'teachers' so flaming cryptic all of the time? Would it kill them to explain clearly for once." She grumbled under her breath.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"Hello Mr Olsen!" Anna Lair called over to the barkeeper. "I've got this weeks delivery out at the back."

Nerissa stood up and walked over to her.

"Where are you from?" she asked and Anna Lair shrugged.

"Place called Heatherfield, not far from here. I could give you a lift if you like."

"No, I think we'll just take your cart." Nerissa replied calmly. As Anna turned to look at Nerissa angrily, Tridart stabbed downwards into her neck and a look of astonishment came over her face as she fell to the ground. Anna was dead before she hit the ground. The barkeeper's cry of protest was cut short as Nerissa sliced her sword through his neck.

"What shall we do with the bodies Mistress?" Tridart asked coldly.

"Leave them here and prepare to burn this place to the ground." Nerissa commanded coldly. "I don't want any chance of my old friend catching a chance to escape."

"I shall do as you command Mistress." Ember replied, her wings expanding to ignite the timbers in the roof. "It shall be done."

As the bar burned, Nerissa and her henchmen rode out of the village towards the town of Heatherfield.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will let out a shriek of shock as she suddenly felt herself connect to the flame.

"I did it!" she exclaimed. "Taranee, I actually did it!"

"I knew you would master it Will." Fire-Taranee said with a smile. "Are you still connected to it?" Will nodded and Fire-Taranee grinned. "Maintain it!"

"Maintain it? Bu-"

Without warning, Fire-Taranee threw a series of fast moving attacks at Will with a fire sword. Instantly, Will leapt into a defensive stance and tried to parry each blow as it came and she lost her connection to the flame. Fire-Taranee caught Will on the shoulder and Will yelped out in pain. Fire-Taranee instantly stopped her attacks and shook her head.

"You lost it Will." Fire-Taranee told Will in a disappointed voice. "You lost your connection to the flame."

"It's a little hard to do while you're under attack!" Will spat out angrily and Fire-Taranee shook her head once more.

"And will you ask your opponents to allow you to make that connection?" she asked. "You must be able to use your chi aggressively without warning. Now reassert your connection and prepare to defend yourself!"

Will reasserted her connection and Fire-Taranee attacked once more.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"Their chances are not good Mistress Orube." A young healer monk told Orube grimly. "If they manage to recover then it will be many weeks before they are even fit to travel, much less fight."

"I see." Orube said with a frown on her face. "In that case, I must go to Meridian myself."

"Mistress Orube, are you sure that is wise? Su-"

"It will be many weeks before they recover." Orube said, cutting across the healer's words. "We don't have weeks and Caleb there is not suitable when he's like this." Orube pointed to Caleb, who was sitting beside Will's bed looking forlorn.

"At least take a few monks with you!" the healer protested and Orube shook her head.

"I'm not looking for a fight. If possible, I want to be in and out with the stone without drawing a weapon."

"Then may the peace of Zamballa bless your journey." The young healer said gravely and Orube nodded grimly. It went without saying that Orube was going to need all the luck she could muster.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will stood up and glared at her opponent. This had been the seventh time she had lost her connection to the flame and she was angry. She reconnected herself to the flame once more.

"I'm ready." She growled and Fire-Taranee swept in once more with a volley of fast strikes. But for once, Will didn't lose the connection to the flame. Instead, Will could feel the power of the flame grow stronger as she felt the flame feed on her anger and aggression. As Fire-Taranee swung at Will's leg, her sword suddenly vanished. Both girls smiled.

"Will, you got it!" Fire-Taranee exclaimed excitedly and Will nodded.

"Yep. Now all I need to do is figure out how to push the flames surrounding me away."

"Indeed." Fire-Taranee agreed. "Remember how you felt with the flame?" Will nodded and Fire-Taranee continued. "Link yourself in the same way to the flames surrounding us."

"Okay, I'm linked." Will said as she allowed herself to join with the flames around them.

"Good. Now push them away." Fire-Taranee said and Will felt herself slip into the flames and push them back. Much to her surprise, it worked on her first attempt. As the flames receded, they slowly vanished to reveal the real Taranee sitting in front of her.

"Congratulations Will, you did it!" she exclaimed happily as she embraced her friend.

"Yeah, I did." Will said and with a smirk, she punched her friend on the arm. "And that's for all the times you knocked me over as Fire-Taranee."

"How else would you learn?" Taranee shot back, but there was no venom in her voice.

Another portal appeared and Will gave her friend one last look and hugged her goodbye.

"I'll see you later." She said and Taranee nodded.

"See you later."

"You have done well, Taranee Cook." A voice told Taranee as she watched the portal close. Taranee turned and bowed.

"Thank you Swordmistress Halinor." Taranee said with a bow. Halinor pulled out her double-ended sword and presented it to Taranee.

"Swordmistress Taranee Cook, I present to you, the heart of your discipline. Use it well."

"I will." Taranee promised. "I will."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Do you REALLY think I'm that good?

AN: One setsuna is approximately 1/72 of a second.

BOOM!

The ground shuddered as Will stepped through the portal, causing her to fall onto her backside into a puddle of muddy water. Will let out a stream of extremely colourful and violent curses that are unprintable.

"Foul language indicates a coarse mind Sword mistress Vandom." A distinctly upper class voice told her firmly. Will's head snapped round and she looked up into the smirking face of the annoying Earth discipline Swords mistress, Cornelia Hale. (If Will was honest with herself, Cornelia was actually a pretty nice person under all that attitude. But Will wasn't feeling exactly friendly.)

"You're my new sensei, I presume?" Will asked irritably and Cornelia smiled nastily and nodded.

"Yes. And because of the terrible language you used just now, you need to do fifty press ups."

"Fifty!" Will asked aghast. Cornelia nodded.

"Do I have to make it one hundred?" Cornelia asked menacingly. Will jumped down and started doing press-ups. "That's better."

Will gritted her teeth and focused on getting the press-ups done. Of all the exercises she had done, press-ups were her least favourite.

"Stupid…power-mad…" she muttered under her breath.

"When you're finished, we'll move onto the next stage." Cornelia said as she swept away gently.

"I just have to put up with her until she teaches me what I need to know. That's all I need to do." Will murmured angrily as she continued to do press-ups. Cornelia smirked as she heard Will's mutterings. She had NO idea what was going to happen.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Nerissa looked up at the restaurant and snorted with contempt.

"Of all the places she could have chosen, she chose this little hovel?" Nerissa sneered. "Well it may have helped you retain your cover years ago old friend, but surely you could have chosen something better than this hovel?"

"Her wisdom is nothing compared to your vision Mistress." Ember murmured with her head bowed. Nerissa simply frowned.

"Yan Lin might well be a self-righteous, but she is far from stupid." Nerissa snapped out. "There was a time I called her friend."

"Mistress…"

"Surround the building!" Nerissa rapped out. "Make sure nothing leaves!"

With a nod of his head, Shagon took off and took his position on one side of the restaurant. Ember swiftly moved to the second and Tridart took the rear. Nerissa stepped forward.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"Forty-nine…fifty." Will huffed as she finished doing the press ups. Will snapped herself upright. "Finished!" she exclaimed. Cornelia was looking at her fingernails.

"Good. Do another fifty and then we'll begin." Cornelia told her in a bored voice.

"FIFTY!"

Cornelia gave Will a contemptuous look.

"Yes fifty. Unlike other sword disciplines, Earth swordmasters rely on our strength to fight. I can't even consider teaching you what I have to teach you until you're strong enough." Cornelia said primly.

"I'm strong enough!" Will protested. Cornelia simply smirked.

"Then the next fifty press ups should not be a problem then." She replied sweetly. "Now get moving."

As Will started doing the press ups, grumbling as she went, Cornelia smirked.

"If I'd have known it was this much fun to have an apprentice, I'd have taken one sooner." Cornelia murmured to herself, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Yan Lin watched as Nerissa smashed through the front door of the Silver Dragon. Grabbing her son's wrist in one hand and her daughter-in-law's wrist in the other, she pulled them close to her.

"Get out of here. Through the front, Nerissa will know about the back and will have already secured it. I'll distract her." Yan Lin hissed in a low voice.

"You know this person?" her son asked in a puzzled voice and Yan Lin nodded grimly.

"She used to be my friend." Yan Lin said with a look of distaste. "Before she fell into darkness." And before anything else could be said, Yan Lin stepped forward.

"I'm here Nerissa." She said calmly as she stepped out. Nerissa drew her sword.

"It's been a long time old friend." Nerissa countered. "But you need not worry about your family being hurt. I only want you."

"You wish to prove your superiority Nerissa, nothing more." Yan Lin countered sadly. "You and I both know that I am no match for you now."

"There was an Easterner swordmistress I encountered in Zamballa. A sweet young thing called Hay Lin I think? Did you know her?" Nerissa taunted. Yan Lin's face grew taut. "I see you did. Did you think she felt any pain when my pet Khor sliced her guts open?"

Yan Lin growled with uncharacteristic anger, glad that her son and daughter-in-law couldn't hear this.

"You lie Nerissa!" Yan Lin hissed, ignoring the twisting feeling in her stomach as she realised that Nerissa wouldn't bother with lying about this.

"You know me better than that Yannie." Nerissa taunted. "It would hardly be worth lying about that now."

Yan Lin let out a feral scream and swung her nunchaku downwards at Nerissa, who stepped aside with ease.

"Tut, tut. Surely you can do better than that?" Nerissa said mockingly. "I have fought by your side many times. I know you."

"Old age slows people down Nerissa." Yan Lin huffed and Nerissa shrugged.

"It does indeed." Nerissa admitted. "At least for everyone else it does." Spinning around on her heel, Nerissa swung her sword through Yan Lin's neck. "Goodbye old friend."

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Orube cursed as she reached the top of the rigging on ship and started to secure the mainsail. It was bad enough that it would take her ten days to travel to Meridian, but this storm meant that it could take longer. As the rain and wind buffeted and sprayed against her face, Orube shuddered from the cold and cursed again.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will let out a groan of relief as she finally finished doing press ups. She jumped to her feet.

"Finished!" she exclaimed and Cornelia nodded.

"Good. Then we'll begin." Cornelia picked up a large rock and turned to face Will. "What I am going to teach you is part of a group of techniques belonging to the Horiki family of techniques."

"Horiki? Aren't they supposed to be God-techniques?" Will interrupted. Cornelia glared.

"Horiki techniques are not God powers." She told Will coldly. "You do not call on the power of Gods to wield them. Horiki techniques are simply techniques that have been developed by priests to protect themselves." Cornelia paused. "For your insolence, another fifty press ups."

Will groaned. Her muscles were aching; no practically screaming and now she had to do ANOTHER fifty press-ups. Cursing Cornelia, Will got down and started doing another round of press-ups.

"Stupid, power mad…" Will muttered under her breath. Cornelia simply shook her head.

"You should know better than to interrupt your teacher Will." Cornelia said firmly, before walking off and snickering in amusement.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"I estimate that the storm has added another two days to our journey at least." The Captain told the assembled crew of the ship. "We will need everyone pulling double shifts if we're to avoid being any longer."

"Double shifts Captain?" one crewmember asked, a young man with short brown hair.

"Yes, double shifts." The Captain confirmed.

"Bu-" Orube suddenly leapt across the table and grabbed the young man by the scruff of his neck.

"The Captain says that double shifts are necessary, so double shifts you will do!" she hissed angrily. "Do you understand?"

"Y-y-yes." The man stuttered out under her fierce glare and the rest of the crew backed off slightly.

"Then you won't complain, will you?" Orube asked menacingly.

"N-n-no." the man stuttered out.

"Good. Now, does anyone else care to complain?" Orube asked as she looked around her. A chorus of no's was her response. "Then let's get to work!"

"With virtually no noise, the crew quickly snapped to work, determined to cross the frankly scary woman.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will felt her muscles scream and sweat run down from her brow as she completed the press-ups. Cautiously, she stood up.

"Have you learned your lesson?" Cornelia asked and Will nodded, not least because she didn't trust herself to speak. "Good. Now, before I was interrupted, I was explaining to you what I am going to teach you." Cornelia paused and pointed at the rock in her hand. "To break a rock, you have to apply force. But all objects have resistance and as a result, some force is wasted through loss. To avoid losing force you must first hit the rock like this," Cornelia slowly hit the rock with her outstretched knuckles. "The moment that impact encounters the rocks resistance, you close your fist by folding it. The second strike will encounter no resistance, thus shattering the rock."

"Is that it sensei?" Will asked, determined to avoid yet more press-ups.

"Try it." Cornelia replied with a grin as she handed the rock to Will. "And if you fail, you can give me another fifty press-ups."

"Okay." Will said uncertainly. "I just have to break the rock, the way you told me right?"

"That's right." Cornelia affirmed. Will slammed her fist against the rock the way Cornelia had instructed, but the rock didn't shatter, but simply broke.

"Huh? It didn't shatter?" Will said surprised. Cornelia grinned.

"And when you've done another fifty press-ups, I'll explain why." She said and Will mentally groaned.

"Stupid…annoying…press-ups." Will cursed as she started the latest set. "I'm supposed to be learning, but I just end up doing press-ups."

"You need upper body strength to master this technique Will." Cornelia told her firmly and Will resisted the urge to curse. Knowing her luck, Cornelia would make her do more press-ups for being foul-mouthed.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Nerissa looked down at the body of her old friend and shook her head sadly.

"It's a shame you didn't join me in the beginning Yannie, we could have been unstoppable." Nerissa sighed. She clicked to her servants. "Let's leave!"

"We aren't going to destroy this place Mistress?" Shagon asked and Nerissa shook her head.

"No. Call it a last favour to an old friend." She replied with a hint of sadness. "And we don't really have time. Now MOVE!"

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will REALLLY hated that smile on Cornelia's face, Will decided to herself as she stood up.

"Now listen carefully. The reason that you failed to shatter the rock is simple. To make the technique work, you must be quick. Both strikes must happen within one setsuna to make the technique work. Otherwise, you have simply delivered two blows." Cornelia paused and threw a rock into the air. Her fist shot out and the rock practically exploded. "When you have achieved that, you have mastered the 'Two Layers' technique."

Will shrugged. " I WILL master this technique. Hand me another rock please?"

Cornelia obliged and smiled as Will yet again failed to deliver the strikes fast enough.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

"So, what makes getting there so important to that psycho?" a crewman asked as he nodded at Orube.

"Beats me. Way Meridian is these days, with the civil war over the throne and everything, I'd have thought any sane person would want to spend as little time on the mainland as possible." His friend replied.

"Maybe she's a mercenary, seeking to earn a bit of cash." The first crewman suggested.

"Or maybe she's just having it off with the Captain. I wouldn't mind having her in my bed." A third crewmember added. "She's a real looker."

"My reasons for going to Meridian are private. Do not pry unless you want to be hurt." Orube hissed at them. "And do not talk about me behind my back, it's disrespectful."

There was a moment of stunned silence and the crew rushed about to their duties. Orube permitted herself a small smile though. Even psychopaths like hearing compliments about themselves, she mused to herself.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

Will glared at the rock sitting in her hand. Despite the fact that they'd been sitting there for a very long time and had broken many, many rocks and had even seen Cornelia demonstrate the move a few times, she STILL hadn't gotton it.

"The rock isn't going to shatter with you glaring at it." Cornelia informed Will dryly and Will glared at her.

"It isn't going to shatter when I punch it either!" Will snapped. "Watch!" And with that, Will tossed the rock into the air and punched the rock, which promptly shattered into a thousand pieces."

"It seems to me that it will." Cornelia countered with a smirk, before hugging the other woman. "Congratulations Will, I KNEW you had it in you!"

Will just sat there in complete shock. She really hadn't suspected that she would have actually done that then. But the fine shards of the rock she had just shattered were all over her hand, giving it a dusty appearance.

"I…actually did it." Will murmured in a stunned voice and Cornelia grinned.

"Of course you did. You had me as a teacher and I wouldn't let you fail!" Cornelia said firmly. "In fact, it would have been impossible for you to fail!"

"With all those press-ups?" Will asked sarcastically and Cornelia shook her head.

"Well there's no point trying to teach someone who isn't strong enough." Cornelia countered in an infuriatingly calm tone of voice. Then her face turned solemn. "I was wrong about you. I'm sorry."

"Yo-wh..?" Will asked, puzzled.

"I was wrong about you being the right person to lead us." Cornelia continued. "You ARE the one who can stop Nerissa and the threat she poses."

"Umm…thanks I suppose." Will said in a shocked voice. Another portal appeared a metre to Will's left and Will stood up.

"Good luck Will." Cornelia said and Will smiled.

"Thank you Sensei." She replied and stepped through the portal.

"Took her time, didn't she?" A man asked from behind Cornelia. Cornelia turned to face the owner of the voice.

"It took you a week to learn the technique, Master Sanosuke. I'd say she did pretty well." Cornelia countered and Sanosuke laughed.

"I know." He replied, before drawing out his Zanbato. "Here is the heart of your discipline. Try not to disgrace it."

"This is me we're talking about. I am hardly going to disgrace it." Cornelia replied snootily, before taking the sword. "But I will make sure I use it properly."

"Well you're confident at least. Try not to get cocky." Sanosuke said with a smirk. Then, without any further ado, he disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: This is chapter 12. If you haven't read the previous 11, I doubt you'll read this.

Will rubbed her eyes as she stared at the landscape around her. There was nothing wrong with her eyes. This wasn't some leftover dream or some hallucination. She was walking on what looked to be like clouds. Will leaned forward gently.

"You're not going to fall through it you know." Hay Lin said conversationally. Will lost her balance and fell over with a thump. "Ooops. Sorry Will."

Will picked herself up slowly, her hands sinking slightly into the ground beneath her. She turned and looked at Hay Lin.

"So you're my Air discipline teacher?" she asked and Hay Lin nodded.

"Oh yes!" she replied happily. Will mentally wondered to herself whether anything could get Hay Lin down.

"You're here to learn how to see!" Hay Lin continued and Will frowned.

"Learn to see?" she asked in a puzzled voice.

"Yes, learn to see. Catch!" Hay Lin said as she threw a cloud at Will. Will caught the cloud with ease and dropped it. The cloud slid through the floor and then there was a whistling noise as it continued to fall. A sudden movement above Will made her jump aside as the cloud she had just dropped crashed at her feet.

"What was that!" Will exclaimed in shock. Hay Lin grinned.

"Whenever something is dropped, it falls down onto you!" she said with a smile. Will frowned.

"You could have warned me!" she snapped. Hay Lin shrugged.

"Now where would the fun in that be?"

"How exactly am I supposed to learn how to 'see' anyway? It's something that people do automatically." Will continued angrily. Hay Lin smiled and her eyes glinting with amusement.

"Well pass my little test and I'll go straight to the next part I'll be teaching you." Hay Lin said. Will grinned. This should be easy.

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

Nerissa and her company made swift progress towards their destination with little trouble. Virtually unopposed, Nerissa walked into the city of Ashthorn, the military and political centre of Prince Phobos's territory in Meridian.

"Why are we here mistress? Surely we have more important places to be?" Shagon asked as he surveyed the busy military activity around them.

"This is where we need to be." Nerissa replied firmly. "First of the three sites we need to go to."

"I do not understand mistress. With all the power of the sword and stone, surely there is nothing more?" Shagon continued, clearly puzzled.

"You will see Shagon. You will see." Nerissa hissed. She looked up at Phobos's palace with an unpleasant smile. "Yes, they will ALL see."

What Nerissa and her companions failed to see was the way a young street urchin noted their presence. Or that the same street urchin quickly slipped away to report to his boss. But even if they had, Nerissa would not have bothered to stop him. She didn't care if she was observed. What she had planned would leave no doubt as to her place in Meridian.

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

"So what's this test I have to do?" Will asked. Hay Lin smirked in a distinctly scary fashion.

"You simply have to avoid the clouds that are coming at you." She told Will in a singsong voice. Will smiled. This would be easier than she thought!

"Okay, I'm ready." Suddenly a blindfold went over Will's eyes. "Hey what the devil!"

"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them." Hay Lin told her with a giggle. "You have to 'see' the approaching cloud."

"But how…" something big a solid slammed into Will's chest, sending her flying. Another solid item slammed into her side, swiftly followed by another and another and another.

"Have you had enough yet?" Hay Lin asked in a singsong voice. Will growled.

"Yes I've had enough!" she snapped. She whipped off the blindfold. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Well first you need to put the blindfold back on." Hay Lin told her calmly. Will glared in annoyance, but did as she was told. "Good. Now breathe in and out. Slowly. Listen to the world around you."

Will allowed herself to sink into a meditative trance and allowed herself to listen to the world around her. The wind blowing around them, the sound of Hay Lin and herself breathing. Her own heartbeat.

"Listen. Feel. Hear the world around you." Hay Lin continued. "Use your senses to tell where I am and what's around you."

Will was surprised how easily it came to her. She could feel the change in air pressure as Hay Lin leaned closer and then away. She could hear the air moving around the world around her.

"Are you aware of your surroundings?" Hay Lin asked and Will nodded. There was a slight sound, almost imperceptible, rushing towards her. Will spun and punched hard at the approaching sound. She was unsurprised when it hit an approaching cloud and knocked it aside.

"Hey that was easy!" Will exclaimed and Hay Lin laughed.

"Yes, that was the easy part. The next bit I'm going to teach you is a bit harder." She said as she took Will's blindfold off.

"A bit harder?" Will asked and Hay Lin nodded.

"You have to understand how to 'see' before you can become invisible." She continued in her happy-go-lucky way. "Otherwise, how do you know?"

Will stared in disbelief. It was hard to imagine the perpetually bouncing girl in front of her ever being 'invisible'. Although air swordmasters were renowned for being able to disappear and it was rumoured, practiced magical arts, Hay Lin was not one to exude stealth however, her restless energy seemed to practically yell out her location.

"Hay-Hay, I'm not magically gifted." Will told her and Hay Lin giggled.

"It's not magic silly!" she said with a laugh. "It's just another trick."

"Really?" Will asked weakly and Hay Lin laughed once more.

"Oh yes. People assume that because we can vanish it's dark magic;" at this, Hay Lin paused and winked at Will. "We like letting people think that, it distracts them from what we're really doing."

"Oh?"

"Well I don't have time to do EVERYTHING that we do. It's just as much a mindset as anything else." Hay Lin continued. "In this case, you'll be cloaking your chi so completely that it'll vanish."

"That's impossible!" Will exclaimed and Hay Lin smiled, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Are you SURE about that?" she asked and Will hesitated.

"Well…"

"Actually, why don't you test it?" Hay Lin continued. "I'm sure that it's impossible after all."

"We-" Will started but it was already too late, Hay Lin shimmered out of sight and disappeared. "Oh damn."

Will's senses went on high alert, probing and prodding the surrounding environment as she sought out Hay Lin and her chi signature. Will was surprised to discover absolutely nothing whatsoever. A dagger came flying out of nowhere and Will suddenly jumped aside and the blade missed.

"Ha! Missed!" Will cackled triumphantly.

"It was meant to." Hay Lin whispered in her ear and Will jumped.

"Wh-ho-b-" she stuttered incoherently and Hay Lin smiled.

"I have a few tricks." She replied bouncing about in a distinctly hyperactive fashion. "But I'm here to teach you just one."

"Just one?"

"The most important one of all." Hay Lin added. "How to hide your chi. Completely."

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

Nerissa stood at the gates to Phobos's castle and magically magnified her voice.

"Phobos, come out of the castle and kneel before the new ruler of Meridian!" she called out. Her voice carried to all four corners of the city and a crowd of curious onlookers quickly gathered round.

High above her on the castle walls, Phobos sneered.

"Who does this woman think she is?" he asked angrily and beside him, Miranda bowed.

"She is a rogue swordmistress, my Prince." She said calmly. "She abducted your sister a few weeks ago."

"And she has the nerve to come to MY castle, MY city and demand that I bow to HER?" Phobos sneered angrily. "Cedric! Kill her!"

"Yes my Prince." Lord Cedric replied. With a wiggle of his fingers, Lord Cedric's demon familiar grew to enormous size. A giant cobra, it towered over Nerissa and bared its fangs. Nerissa simply smirked and drew out the Sword of Candracar.

"This is your last chance to surrender." She told them calmly. Phobos growled and Cedric made a series of gestures and his demon struck downwards towards Nerissa. It never made contact, slamming into the ground as Nerissa leapt up with lightening fast speed. Twisting rapidly mid-air, her sword swung through the snake-demons neck and sent its head flying. She landed with a thump, slamming the Sword of Candracar into the ground.

For a moment, there was total silence. Cedric stared in disbelief, his mind still reeling from the aftershock his demons death had caused and Miranda was crouched in a fighting position, half expecting Nerissa to leap at them. Miranda knew full well that she was no match for Nerissa, but if it came to a fight, she could buy Cedric enough time to summon up more powerful spells and that was all that counted.

There was the sound of rumbling and the Earth itself began to shake. Rising out of the ground, ghostly soldiers rose and soon Nerissa was at the head of an army.

"Archers, fire!" Phobos yelled and a volley of arrows flew into Nerissa's new army. The arrows simply passed through them as though they weren't even there and the army marched forward.

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

Hay Lin picked up a cloud and squeezed hard. There was a sudden popping noise and the cloud turned bright pink.

"You'd have difficulty sneaking up on me, even if your chi was completely hidden." Hay Lin explained as Will looked at her strangely. "This should do the trick though. It can only see you through your chi. If your chi isn't hidden, then it will respond."

"Okay. Well how do I hide my chi?" Will asked curiously. Hay Lin smiled.

"First, close your eyes and breath."

Will closed her eyes and allowed her breathing to become slow and trance-like.

"Visualise your chi as it floats and floats around your body." Hay Lin continued and Will resisted the urge to snort. This was basic stuff, the stuff that most swordmasters learned early on.

"Can you see your chi?" Hay Lin asked and Will nodded. "Good, now visualise it drawing in."

"I can feel it drawing in." Will said excitedly in a voice that would have embarrassed her if she had been with anyone else.

"When you think you've drawn it all in, approach the cloud." Hay Lin told her calmly. With a slight hesitation, Will slowly stepped towards the cloud that was hovering innocently. But as she got closer, it suddenly turned red and Will was sent flying.

"Ow." Will moaned as she sat up and glared at the cloud.

"You didn't get it all." Hay Lin said and Will's glare switched to her. "You need to get ALL of it, otherwise your chi is detectable."

Will growled and focused on drawing her chi in once more and approached the cloud once more. Hay Lin winced in sympathy as Will was thrown back once more.

"We have a LOT of work to do." She said and smiled. "Good thing I'm here."

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

Witnesses would later recall how incredibly fast it happened. In less than ten minutes, Nerissa's army had breached the castle and destroyed the defenders. Nerissa had woven in and out, her sword flashing as it cut down fighters left and right with dazzling speed and her ghostly army tore through the defences as though they weren't even there. Tridart rammed his twin swords into Cedric's chest, while Lady Miranda had her neck viciously snapped by Shagon and Commander Frost, leader of the elite Calvary unit The Hunters, was sliced in two by Ember within minutes.

"Any last words, my Prince?" Nerissa asked sarcastically as she pointed her sword at his throat. Phobos spat at her and with swift turn, she cut his throat. As he bled to death on the ground, she turned to the watching populace.

"All hail Queen Nerissa!" Shagon bellowed. There was a moment of stunned hesitation as the crowd struggled to take in what they had seen. And then, as one voice, they replied.

"All hail Queen Nerissa!"

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

"Are you SURE this cloud only responds to a persons chi?" Will asked with a frown. Hay Lin nodded.

"Of course it does silly!" she replied. "Watch."

Hay Lin walked up to the cloud and pushed it. Then kicked it and even slammed her two cane swords into it. Nothing happened.

"See? Cloaking ones chi is easy enough once you know how." Hay Lin explained. "Now hold my hands, I want to try something."

"Hold your hands?"

"Just do it Will." Hay Lin said exasperatedly. "It's not going to kill you." Will put her hands forward and Hay Lin grabbed them. "Now focus on drawing your chi in."

Will breathed in and focused on drawing her chi into herself. Once she was sure that it was all pulled in, she opened her eyes.

"Okay, now what?" she asked, but instead of answering, Will felt a slight tugging on her chi. Hay Lin had grabbed one of her threads and tugged it. It was so small, it was barely noticeable, but now Will knew it was there, she pulled it in. And all the other tiny threads that surrounded her. Her eyes lit up in amazement.

"Wow, I didn't realise they were there!" Will exclaimed in surprise and Hay Lin grinned.

"Of course you didn't!" she exclaimed. "Most swordmasters barely see them at all. Now try approaching that cloud."

With some trepidation, Will slowly approached the cloud. She reached the point where she had been thrown back before and braced herself in preparation. Nothing happened. Will slowly continued, half expecting to be thrown back with every step she took. Nothing happened. Eventually, she reached the cloud itself and picked it up.

"Congratulations, you did it!" Hay Lin squealed excitedly.

"Why didn't you do that trick at the start?" Will asked puzzled and Hay Lin shook her head.

"When you started, you were pretty bad at it. You had to improve."

"Either that, or you're a sadist." Will countered with a smirk.

"Well, that too." Hay Lin joked. A white slash appeared in the air. "I think this is for you."

"Thank you sensei." Will said as she turned to leave. "I'll see you in the land of the living."

"I'll see you there." Hay Lin replied with a smile that threatened to split her face in two. Without further conversation, Will stepped through the portal, which promptly vanished.

"I wasn't sure she could do it." A voice commented and Hay Lin shrugged.

"I never had any doubts." She countered as she turned to face the owner of the voice. Standing there, Makimachi Misao was holding her twin swords out with a grin.

"Hay Lin, I present to you, the Heart of your discipline. Use them wisely and well."

"I will do." Hay Lin replied as she took the blades. "I will do."

W.I.T.C...C..W.I.T.C.H

Orube looked up at the port city of Heatherfield with apprehension. Now she could finally continue with her mission.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: This is chapter 13 for heavens sake! Do you REALLY need one?

"Hello Swordmistress Watsuki." Himura said calmly as Will stepped out of the portal. "I take it you have completed your training with the other swordmasters."

"Yes." Will replied calmly as she drew her blade.

"You have become more powerful than you were." Himura continued and Will nodded once more.

"Indeed I have." Will replied calmly. "I have passed their tests." Himura drew his blade.

"Then all that is left is for you to defeat me then." Himura continued calmly. "This one would prefer not to have to fight."

"So would this one." Will replied in a slightly sarcastic voice. "But I don't suppose you would just let me take the heart and be done with."

Himura chuckled. "I'm afraid not, my dear Will. You still have to defeat me."

"I knew you would just HAVE to say that," Will growled. Her sword settled into a basic stance, her feet standing one behind the other and her sword at a forty-five degree angle to the ground. She stared at him intently and he stared back with equal intent. The very air itself seemed to crackle with tension as the two fighters waited for an opening to exploit.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

The port of Heatherfield was in chaos as Orube's ship docked. Wild rumours about Nerissa and her armies circulated the docks and as the ship landed, refugees, determined to get away before Nerissa finished seizing control of Meridian, immediately crowded it. People from places loyal to Queen Elyon and Prince Phobos alike were desperately scared of the possible treatment they might receive.

None of this concerned Orube, who used the chaos to slip off of the ship unnoticed. Although her pack was small (barely large enough to fit a handful of roots and berries) her nun chucks were attached to her belt and that was all she needed. She grimaced mentally as she landed in a cat-like manner. If it was this chaotic when she arrived, then the chances of her being able to get a ship back were small. Then a small, grim smile graced her features. Unless Orube was very much mistaken, she probably wouldn't live long enough to worry about a return journey.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Will breathed in deeply and pulled in all of her chi, exactly the way Hay Lin had taught her. Himura cocked his head slightly, puzzled by her sudden disappearing chi and in that moment, Will detected an opening. It was small, barely a seconds worth, but it was there. Slamming her fist onto the ground with a two-layers punch, the ground shuddered and Himura was thrown slightly off-balance. Before he could recover, Will leapt forward with a fast downward swing. As Himura parried the blow, he stumbled and fell onto his backside. Sensing victory, Will moved in to deliver the final strike, bringing her sakabato down.

It never connected. As Will's sword came down, Himura's legs shot up unexpectedly and his sword parried her downward strike, while his feet used her momentum to throw her other him. She slammed into the ground a few metres away and rolled to her feet. A stream of blood trickled from her lip and Will licked it. This was not going to be easy.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

"Halt, who goes there?" a young Lieutenant of the Royal Guard demanded as Nerissa and her company arrived at the Royal Palace. Nerissa drew her sword and the blade glowed in the low light.

"It is your new ruler, Queen Nerissa!" she called out and there was a confused murmuring on the wall. On one side, the Royal Guard were sworn to be loyal to the true leader of Meridian. To many, this was Queen Elyon. On the other side, the Sword of Candracar was supposed to select Meridian's true leader in times of uncertainty. And with Queen Elyon trapped inside the blade and Prince Phobos dead, it could be argued that Nerissa was indeed the legitimate ruler of Meridian. In the end, it was a single act of nervousness that proved to be the deciding factor.

One young soldier, an archer, released his arrow. The arrow flew past Nerissa and clattered well beyond her and her company.

"Destroy them!" Nerissa bellowed angrily as she leapt forward, sword flashing.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Orube's horse snorted and whinnied as she pushed it harder and harder, but Orube ignored the animal's protests. In her head, she could hear her old teacher reprimanding her and Orube wiped away a tear. Grief and mercy were luxuries that she could not afford right now. She had failed in her purpose of protecting the stone, but she was determined not to fail this. She simply couldn't afford to, she would not have her mentor and closest thing to a parent she had, have died in vain!

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Himura and Will both leapt forward at the same time, blades swinging so fast that they were little more than a blur. Leaping back, both fighters assessed one another with apprising looks, both breathing very hard.

"You have improved considerably, Swordmistress Watsuki." Himura said through shallow breaths.

"I've had some good teachers," Will countered, before throw her chi at him. As he countered it, she leapt forward with a downward strike that narrowly missed Himura's shoulder. Himura's counterstroke was so close to Will's head that it almost hit the top of her head.

Will used her downward momentum to do another two-layers punch into the ground and spun her blade upwards with a twist and felt a reassuring shudder as her blade glanced off of Himura's elbow. As he twisted slightly with a grimace, Will turned her blade and swung it at his chest. He parried and using the same twist she had used on Irma, she punched forward into his gut and sent him flying back.

He landed hard and Will leapt forward. As he raised his blade to parry, Will threw her chi at him once more and for a fraction of a second, he was disorientated. Spinning her blade in her hand, she caught Himura across the legs and then up under his guard to his chest. With a grimace of pain, Himura smiled.

"You have bested this one and have earned this sword," he said with a gentle smile. He stood up and bowed. Will returned the bow and he took off his sword. "Use this power responsibly, it is a dangerous responsibility."

"I will," Will said as she took the sword.

"Then I believe, Swordmistress Watsuki, it is time for you to return to the real world." And with a click of his fingers, the world around them dissolved.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Nerissa wiped her sword and looked at the dead bodies lying around her. The battle, if you could call it that, had been short.

"You two!" Nerissa yelled at a couple of shocked-looking servants. "Get someone to clean up this mess! I want it ready for my coronation!"

"Yes miss!" one of the servant girls said in a high, scared voice. Nerissa allowed herself a small smile as the servants began scurrying around and an air of fear pervaded the palace. Fear was good. Fear kept people down, kept them in their place. And it kept them from getting any stupid ideas.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Orube's horse collapsed as she reached the city gates. As the animal lay there, Orube put her hands on the creature's head and massaged it. Slowly the horse's breathing returned to normal and it sat up.

"Rest easy, you have played your part," Orube said as she stroked the horse's head. The horse snorted, as if to say, "Do I LOOK stupid enough to let you ride me again?"

"I don't blame you my friend, you have good cause to be angry," Orube said soothingly. "Now go."

The horse snorted once more and trotted off, clearly determined to get away from this madwoman. Orube gave a grim chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm crazy as well," she chuckled, but her laugh had no warmth to it. She looked up at the city and gave her weapon a reassuring grip. Taking in a deep breath, she walked in through the city gates.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Above Hay Lin's bed, there was a sudden rush of air, virtually gale force strength, but instead of disturbing any other part of the room, it merely blew over Hay Lin's body, ruffling her bed sheets. Caleb and the other healers in the infirmary barely noticed a thing, until Hay Lin opened her eyes and said one word.

"Oh."

Caleb's head spun around so fast that he felt his neck click.

"You're awake!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah. And I seem to be healed," she said as she stood up and pulled the bandages off of her to reveal skin that wasn't even scarred. She stared, engrossed by the sight of her scar less, unmarked stomach. She had SEEN her guts sliced open and it should have left extensive scaring.

"Umm…Hay Lin…" Caleb started.

"What is it?" she asked as she continued to stare at her stomach.

"You're standing there naked," Caleb pointed out and Hay Lin suddenly pulled the bed sheets over her body with a shriek and she blushed hard.

"It's a shame you had to say anything at all," one of the male healers commented to Caleb with a smirk. "I was enjoying the show."

"I bet you were you old leech," another male healer said with a smirk. Caleb glared at them both and fingered his staff threateningly. The two healers quickly disappeared and were soon replaced a couple of giggling young women healers.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

If there was one thing that made Meridian's capital such an unpleasant place, Orube thought to herself, it was the gods-forsaken SMELL of the city. Unlike Heatherfield, there was no sea air to cover the smells made by a busy city, nor was there a backwash cleaning the sewage from the more fragrant parts. Open sewage and unwashed bodies made the slums smell positively evil.

"If I never have to come to this gods-forsaken city again, I will die a happy woman," Orube muttered under her breath. Then she gave a bitter chuckle. She knew the odds and if she made it out of the palace alive, then it would be a miracle. But, Orube thought with grim humour, at least I won't ever have to visit this city again.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Hay Lin was getting dressed when the ground opened up and swallowed Cornelia without a trace. This was noticed though and everyone in the room stared in disbelief.

"What the…" Caleb started, but the ground exploding and throwing Cornelia out coughing and spluttering and covered in dirt suddenly interrupted him.

"I am so very BADLY in need of a shower!" Cornelia exclaimed and she was sure that she could hear Sagara Sanosuke laughing at her expense.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Orube was able to scale the castle walls with relative ease, her fingers and feet finding holds where few others could. Just before Orube could throw herself up onto the top of the outer wall, footsteps echoed as someone walked down the pathway. Flattening herself against the side of the wall she was climbing, Orube heard a couple of voices.

"I can't believe that b%$#&! She walks in as if she owns the place-" one of the two girls ranted.

"She does," the other pointed out.

"She's just a swordmistress!" the first one continued. "It's not like she's even in line for the throne!"

"She also killed the entire Royal Guard. Do you really want to fight her?" her friend asked. "Do you really think you could succeed where they failed? And keep your voice down, if she finds out what you're saying, she could kill you as well."

"Pfft. As if anyone is going to hear us up here," the first girl continued. "We're all alone up here."

"You don't know that! What if one of her freaky soldiers is up here?" her friend said, whom Orube had decided to dub 'Idiot Two'.

"They're too busy scaring the innocent townsfolk down there," the first girls countered. Orube decided to dub her 'Idiot One'.

"If you say so," Idiot Two said doubtfully. "We'd better get inside."

"Yeah, we don't want Mistress Luvia to have another reason to shout at us," Idiot One said in agreement and the two girls disappeared inside. With a sigh of relief, Orube flipped over the wall and flexed her arms.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Taranee's bed burst into flames so fast that within minutes it was a blazing inferno.

"What the…" Caleb exclaimed in shock as he stared in disbelief. He put his hand forward and didn't feel any heat coming from the fire at all. As the fire died out, Taranee lay there untouched by the fire, which had destroyed most of the bed. She opened her eyes and sat up, running her hands over her chest in disbelief.

"I should be dead. Why am I not dead?" she murmured as a couple of healers pulled a sheet around her to cover her nudity.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Orube pulled on a set of maid's clothes she found in a storage closet. The trouble was that they were clearly designed for a much bigger person and as a result the sleeves trailed over her hands and the skirt made it look as though she had virtually no legs at all. If it came to a fight, Orube thought to herself, I'd better just strip off and fight naked! She giggled slightly at the thought, before giving herself a mental shake. With a resigned sigh, she set off to search for Nerissa.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

A storm cloud embraced the bed Irma was in and rain fell upwards from it to the ceiling. As the cloud receded, a dripping wet Irma stood there looking annoyed. Unlike the others, the water clothed her as well, wearing a pair of long blue silk trousers and a white blouse.

"You didn't have to soak me!" she yelled angrily at the ceiling. The ceiling, to nobody's surprise, stayed silent.

"Swordmistress Lair, you do know that you're talking to air, don't you?" Caleb asked and Irma glared at him.

"I'd ask whether she hit her head, but that would suggest that it wasn't damaged to begin with," Cornelia said with a snicker as she stepped back into the room, freshly cleaned and dressed. Irma switched her glare to Cornelia and gave her a one-fingered salute. Cornelia merely tutted and Caleb rolled his eyes.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

With as comfortable and inconspicuous a manner as possible, Orube walked into the throne room. Although her head remained still and facing forwards, her eyes were constantly scanning the room.

The sword of Candracar was sitting beside a disinterested Nerissa, who appeared to be sleeping in the throne. Grabbing a brush, Orube began sweeping in Nerissa's direction, keeping her eyes facing downwards.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Will opened her eyes and yawned.

"Well that was anticlimactic," Irma commented sardonically. "Where's your flashy entrance?"

"Flashy?" Will asked confused as she shook her head slightly to clear it of the fog she was feeling.

"You know, the big show of magic that announces your return to the world of the living," Irma continued, waving her arms.

"I don't know. Maybe I simply didn't need it?" Will suggested weakly, her mind still feeling a little groggy.

"You should be thankful it wasn't like mine," Cornelia grumbled. "I've washed my hair SIX times and it STILL doesn't feel clean!"

"Yeah, you missed a spot," Irma said laconically and Cornelia glared.

"Yeah, thanks for that water-brain!" she snapped and Will rolled her eyes as the two girls walked off bickering. Taranee caught her eye and Will was forced to contain her laughter with some difficulty.

"It's good to see you back Will," Taranee said as she hugged her old friend.

"It's good to be back. Now all we have to do is hammer Nerissa!" Will said angrily and Taranee smiled. It was good to see her friend's old fighting spirit back.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

Orube closed on the sword, sweeping the floor as she went along. Closer and closer she got, until she was so close that she could virtually read the inscriptions on the swords hilt. Moving her hand from the broom, she slowly reached out, her hand mere inches from the Stone of Zamballa. In a few seconds, she would have what she had travelled all the way to Meridian for.

Shing! Nerissa's hand grabbed the hilt of the Sword of Candracar just moments before Orube could grab the stone. Orube barely had time to try and block Nerissa's cutting blow with the broom when the sword sliced through the handle and onto her neck, decapitating her in a single move.

"How dare you try to steal from me!" Nerissa hissed at the now headless corpse of Orube that was spewing blood all over her. She turned to face two servant girls that were standing there on the other side of the room. "You two, get this mess cleaned up!"

The two girls nodded, their faces pale. One of them, a young girl with pale blond hair and blue eyes vomited on the spot and Nerissa swung her sword so close to the girl's head that the blade severed a hair from the girl's head.

"Toughen up girl! There will be many more deaths before this kingdom is ready for what I have planned!" Nerissa said. The girl nodded and the two girls set about cleaning away Orube's still bleeding corpse.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..

"We need to leave. Now," Will growled as she tied her new sword to her waist. Another mystery that puzzled the healers at the temple was the appearance of swords at the bedsides of each of the girls, each one relevant to their style.

"We don't even know how you were healed!" Caleb protested. "How do we know that your wounds won't re-open?"

"They won't," Taranee said with quiet certainty, her new double-ended sword strapped to her back.

"Caleb, we're going, with or without you," Cornelia added, giving him a firm look in the eye.

"But…"

"No buts. We're going and that's final," Will finished. She turned to face the others. "Is everyone ready?"

As they all replied yes, there was a sudden flash of purple, green, red, blue and white and the five girls disappeared.

"Make sure you make it back Will. Make sure you do," Caleb growled at the now empty room.

AN: Urgh. I'm not entirely happy with the fight between Will and Himura, but I don't think it's terrible either. What do you guys think?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Irma stared angrily at the funeral marker that marked her mothers grave.

_Here lies Anna Lair,_

_Beloved mother and wife,_

_Murdered for her horse by Swordsmistress Nerissa_

"That b%$#h murdered my mother. I'm going to kill her," Irma growled. Although Anna had only been her stepmother, Irma regarded Anna as practically blood. With a flash of blue, Irma vanished.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

The crew of the XV-Dragon had weighed anchor and the funeral service was well underway when a sudden flash of red light landed in the crews midst and deposited Taranee into the middle of the deck.

"Ow," Taranee groaned slightly as she slowly stood up. She looked around and instantly recognised the ship she was standing on. She turned towards the nearest crewmember. "I need to talk to the Captain right away," she said authoritively.

"The Captain's dead," the crewmember replied, "And so is his number one Peter Cook."

"WHAT! How! When! Where!" Taranee exclaimed in shock. The crew simply turned their faces away. One young crewman approached her.

"He was murdered by a swordmistress at the docks of Zamballa when he objected to her killing the Captain," he said and Taranee's face grew dark.

"Do you know the name of the evil b&%$h who killed my brother?" she growled, gripping her sword so tightly it was digging into her skin. Waves of anger seemed to literally roll off of her and the crew stepped back as one.

"Sh-sh-she called herself Nerissa ma'am," a now terrified looking crewman stuttered.

"Nerissa," Taranee growled and the terrified crewman nodded. Before she could say anything else, there was a red flash and she vanished.

"Dear Gods, I wouldn't want to face her now," one crewman said and his friend beside him shook his head.

"No, that girl was SCARY," he replied with a shudder.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

The wind blew eerily across the cliffs of Meridian and the gallows creaked as the sole body hanging from them swung gently in the breeze. There was a flash of green and Cornelia suddenly appeared, sending the gulls in all directions.

"Urgh, I hate teleporting," Cornelia cursed under here breath. She looked up at the gallows and gasped in surprise. She stared, willing the image to vanish like a bad nightmare. After a few moments, she swung her sword and collapsed the gallows, rushing to the corpse that had been hanging there.

"Please, please don't be dead!" Cornelia whispered as she pulled the rope from around the neck, but the body was cold and the eyes had no spark.

"Lillian, please," Cornelia whispered but Lillian's eyes remained lifeless. It was then that the sign attached to the gallows caught Cornelia's attention.

Here awaits the fate of all who oppose Queen Nerissa

"Queen Nerissa?" Cornelia growled. "Queen Nerissa? When I'm finished with her, death will be a merciful release."

A second later, Cornelia vanished once more in a flash of green.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

The graveyard was empty, save for two people, a man and woman standing at a gravestone. The man kneeled down and laid a wreath at the gravestone.

"Do you think it's true? What that b%$#h said? Did she kill our daughter?" Joan asked, her voice wobbling slightly.

Chen didn't say anything. He could not, would not bring himself to belief that his daughter might be dead. He took a deep breath.

"No, of course not. Nerissa must have been lying. Or it's another Easterner girl. I REFUSE to believe that our daughter is dead!"

"But wh-"

"NO! I REFUSE to believe that our beautiful girl is dead!" Chen finished angrily.

"You're right. It can't be, it just can't," Joan said without conviction.

There was a sudden purple flash and suddenly their daughter appeared next to them. Before she could say anything, both Joan and Chen pulled her into a powerful hug.

"Oh darling, we were so worried about you," Joan cried as she hugged her daughter close.

"We'd heard terrible things, things we didn't want to believe," Chen added.

"Like what?" Hay Lin asked as she pulled herself out of her parents hug.

"A swordsmistress came, an old associate of your Grandmother. She said that she'd killed an Easterner Swordsmistress, slit her guts open. She killed your Grandmother," Joan explained sadly and Hay Lin let out a gasp of disbelief. "It's true. I'm so glad that you're okay though."

"Mum, Nerissa almost killed me. I was brought back because I have to see this through," Hay Lin said extremely solemly. She gave her parents a sad smile. "I'll survive, you'll see."

"Hay,n-!" Chen's words were cut off as Hay Lin suddenly vanished in a purple flash.

W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C..W.I.T.C.

In the highest room of the palace, five flashes of colour arrived in the room at the top and five swordsmistresses appeared. Gripping their swords tightly, a wordless exchange took place, vocalised by Irma Lair.

"Let's finish this b&%$h."


End file.
